But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Chrissy Houlahan
- Backed with $12K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Sits on House Armed Services
Houlahan backed the 2024 decision to withhold weapons from Israel: "I don't agree with every decision the President makes, but I agree with him here." She had signed a letter urging adherence to the law barring arms sales to countries restricting humanitarian aid.
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You asked Chrissy Houlahan where they stand.
Deep Dive
Houlahan has represented Pennsylvania's 6th District since 2019.
Her May 2024 statement is the clearest thing on her record, and it is unusual: a Democrat who voted for the security package publicly endorsing the decision to hold weapons back.
She set out the sequence herself. She voted for the national security package because "it sent a message to both our allies and adversaries that says loud and clear, we stand with our democratic partners," and because "a message was sent to both allies and enemies that says just as loudly, we insist on humanitarian support and aid."
Then: "Just last week, I sent a letter alongside 87 of my colleagues urging President Biden to adhere to the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits the U.S. from providing arms sales to countries restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid assistance, either directly or indirectly. Like many Americans, I share President Biden's concerns that Prime Minister Netanyahu is creating a situation that restricts the access of humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians."
And on the decision itself: "Recently, President Biden decided to temporarily withhold specific U.S. weapons to Israel until such time as he receives further assurances about Israel's military operations and humanitarian considerations, specifically in Rafah. I don't agree with every decision the President makes, but I agree with him here." She added that the action "is not unprecedented and is certainly within his authority as our Commander in Chief, just as it was for President Ronald Reagan."
In December 2024 she co-led a letter with Reps. Jason Crow and Madeleine Dean, signed by 77 House Democrats, seeking an assessment of Israel's compliance with U.S. arms transfer law. In August 2025 she was among six veteran members who urged Israel to expand humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza.
Her recorded votes appear as badges on this card and are not uniform.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 6 tracked votes
House Committee on Armed Services
• Vote record imported from official House Clerk roll calls for H.R. 6126, H.R. 8034, and H.R. 8369. Other position fields remain under investigation.
How this mark works
We track key votes on sending U.S. weapons and money to the government of Israel. A check means every tracked vote they cast came down against sending more, on the side of peace and de-escalation. A question mark means a mixed record: they sided with sending up to half of the time. An X means they voted to send more weapons and money in over half of their tracked votes, even as the way those weapons and dollars were being used became more and more obvious. At exactly half, money this election cycle from a lobbying group we track, or an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons, makes it an X. Only votes actually cast are counted. Where a candidate has no recorded votes on these bills, the mark comes instead from a reviewed reading of their public record (money from the lobbying groups we track, endorsements, and their own words since January 26, 2024). There an X also covers fully backing the conduct of the war by the government of Israel without significant reservations, and a question mark also covers speaking about Israel without saying clearly where they stand on U.S. weapons and funding. A dash means No Position Found: we found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.
See a dash? Ask the candidate where they stand, then send us their answer and we'll review it and update the mark. Or volunteer to help review candidates.
Voted to send weapons or funding in some, but no more than half, of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 6 tracked votes.)
The money
$12K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
In their words
Research log
The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
- [Position, 2024-05-09] "Houlahan Issues Statement on Biden Administration's Halt of Certain Weapons to Israel", opened and confirmed word for word: "Just last week, I sent a letter alongside 87 of my colleagues urging President Biden to adhere to the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits the U.S. from providing arms sales to countries restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid assistance, either directly or indirectly. Like many Americans, I share President Biden's concerns that Prime Minister Netanyahu is creating a situation that restricts the access of humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians." And: "Recently, President Biden decided to temporarily withhold specific U.S. weapons to Israel until such time as he receives further assurances about Israel's military operations and humanitarian considerations, specifically in Rafah. I don't agree with every decision the President makes, but I agree with him here. President Biden's action to temporarily withhold certain weapons is not unprecedented and is certainly within his authority as our Commander in Chief, just as it was for President Ronald Reagan."
The same statement explains her vote for the package: "I voted in favor of a national security legislative package. I believed it was largely what we as a nation should support because it sent a message to both our allies and adversaries that says loud and clear, we stand with our democratic partners. Furthermore, a message was sent to both allies and enemies that says just as loudly, we insist on humanitarian support and aid." And: "I still wish there were parts of the bill that were stronger or more specific." All confirmed verbatim.
- [Position, 2024-12-12] Co-led a letter with Reps. Jason Crow and Madeleine Dean, signed by 77 House Democrats, requesting a full assessment of Israel's compliance with U.S. arms transfer law. See pa4-dean, who co-led it. A 77-signatory letter; no individual quote drawn from it.
- [After October 7, 2023-12-06] Co-led a letter to President Biden urging that Israel be encouraged to adopt precise targeting and minimise civilian harm. **The research's source is Rep. Veronica Escobar's release**, another member's page for the same letter. the weeks right after October 7 and group wording either way.
- Her recorded votes appear as badges on this card. They are not uniform, and the May 2024 statement is her own account of the reasoning behind two of them.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- [Position, 2024-05-09] The humanitarian-access passage above, naming "hundreds of thousands of Palestinians" (confirmed verbatim).
- [Position, 2025-08-14] Joined five other veteran members in a letter to the Israeli ambassador urging Israel to expand humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza. The same letter appears on va7-vindman, who signed it; the wording is the group's, so no individual quote is drawn from it.
Characterization of the conflict
- [Position, 2024-05-09] "On October 7th, Hamas terrorists waged an egregious and unprecedented attack on innocent civilians. We remain unwavering in our dedication to the release of all hostages as well as the eradication of Hamas as a terrorist organization with no future in a Palestinian state" (confirmed verbatim). Both halves are in the same statement as her support for withholding weapons, which is why the card and deep dive keep them together.
- [Position, 2024-04-02] Statement after the strike that killed World Central Kitchen workers, as reported saying she was "outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of more than 30,000 people in Israel and Gaza" and renewing her call for a sustainable ceasefire. Not opened.
- [Position, 2024-02-15] Statement warning against a full military push into Rafah without a realistic civilian protection plan. Not opened.
- [After October 7, 2023-11-02] Statement, as reported describing Hamas as a terrorist organisation and saying long-term peace cannot exist with Hamas in power, while expressing concern for innocent Israelis and Palestinians. From the weeks right after October 7.
- [Prior, 2021-05-12] Statement during violence in Jerusalem. Prior band.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Position, 2024-07-24] Statement explaining her decision not to attend Prime Minister Netanyahu's address to Congress, as reported calling the focus on the speech a distraction from a ceasefire, hostage release, a two-state solution and humanitarian aid. Not opened.
- [Position, 2025-08-06] Chester County coverage of a town hall at which she was criticised over her support for Israel. Third-party reporting on criticism of her; not opened, and no claim about her position is drawn from it.
- [Position, 2024-05-01] A further release. Not examined.
Safety and antisemitism (context)
- [After October 7, 2023-11-02, reported] Invoked her background as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor when condemning Hamas's actions. From the weeks right after October 7; safety context.
Note on the vote context
- On the July 2026 amendment, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that six Pennsylvania Democrats supported it and only pa2-boyle voted against. Confirmed verbatim.
Also in this race
- –No Position Found Marty Young (Republican)
All Pennsylvania candidates.
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