But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check

Rob Bresnahan

Republican · U.S. House, Pennsylvania District 8
✗Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 2 tracked votes

Bresnahan says the United States should keep weapons flowing to the government of Israel. In a 2024 debate: "I trust the IDF and what they need to do; we should continue to provide them the weapons they need to fight their war." Nothing located addresses U.S. aid to Palestinians.

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Deep Dive

Bresnahan represents Pennsylvania's 8th District in the state's northeast, won in 2024, and is the sitting member seeking a second term.

His position has been stated the same way since 2024. In his televised debate that October he said: "I trust the IDF and what they need to do; we should continue to provide them the weapons they need to fight their war." After winning, he told Jewish Insider that the United States should defer to Israeli strategic decisions: "We have to trust the IDF, and we need to provide them the resources that they need to eradicate Hamas". In the same interview he said that after a year of war he did not view a two-state solution as viable.

In office he co-sponsored H.R. 1229 in March 2025. The United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act would increase defense-related cooperation with the government of Israel, per the Congressional Research Service. It sets up a joint program against unmanned systems and extends the Defense Department's authority to transfer defense articles intended as reserve stocks for the government of Israel through January 1, 2029. His two recorded tracked votes, both against amendments to cut U.S. aid to the government of Israel, appear as badges on this card.

Nothing located has him addressing U.S. humanitarian aid for Palestinians at any date. The Republican Jewish Coalition, a group that says it fosters ties between the American Jewish community and Republican lawmakers, endorsed him in July 2024. Its announcement said Republicans would ban U.S. aid to UNRWA, the United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees. It did not attribute that position to him, and its paragraph on him does not mention the agency.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 2 tracked votes

Floor votes
H.Amdt. 55 to H.R. 4016 - strike $500M for Israeli Cooperative Programs2025-07-18 · Failed 6-422 (only 6 voted to cut)
✗ Voted No
voted against limiting it
H.R. 8595 - Massie amendment (Part A No. 8) to bar FY27 funds for Israel and cut $3.3B in Foreign Military Financing2026-07-15 · Failed 104-314
✗ Voted No
voted against limiting it
Bill sponsorship
H.R. 3565 - Block the Bombs ActWould bar transfer of 2,000-lb/BLU-109 bunker busters, JDAMs, 120mm tank rounds, and 155mm artillery shells to Israel. Does not affect Iron
Not sponsoringhas not backed this restriction bill
H.R. 1229 - United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025Formalizes/expands bilateral defense cooperation with Israel.
Co-sponsorbacks this bill to send more support
Notable actions

• Co-sponsor (since March 4, 2025) of H.R. 1229, the United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025, which would increase defense-related cooperation with the government of Israel.

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 more than half of their recorded tracked votes. (Supported sending weapons or funding in 2 of 2 tracked votes.)

The money

$20K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $10,000 · Republican Jewish Coalition: $10,000
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$10,000The American Israel Public Affairs Committee; its PAC backs candidates it sees as strengthening U.S. ties with the government of Israel, including continued U.S. military aid.Republican Jewish Coalition$10,000The Republican Jewish Coalition's PAC; it financially supports Republican candidates who reflect its priorities, including strong U.S. backing of the government of Israel.Direct contributions and independent expenditures supporting this candidate from the five lobbying groups we track, every cycle each has filed, through 2026. Excludes earmarked and conduit contributions.
Endorsed by AIPAC +1 more
AIPACThe American Israel Public Affairs Committee; its PAC backs candidates it sees as strengthening U.S. ties with the government of Israel, including continued U.S. military aid.Republican Jewish CoalitionThe Republican Jewish Coalition's PAC; it financially supports Republican candidates who reflect its priorities, including strong U.S. backing of the government of Israel.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.

In their words

“I trust the IDF and what they need to do; we should continue to provide them the weapons they need to fight their war.”
Source ↗, 2024-10-22
Endorsements

AIPAC (2026 endorsement) · Republican Jewish Coalition (2026 endorsement)

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

  • His two recorded tracked votes appear as badges on this card, both against amendments to cut U.S. aid to the government of Israel; he took office in 2025, so the 2023-24 bills predate his service.
  • [Position, 2024-10-22, reported 2024-10-30] The River Reporter's account of the televised debate. Opened and confirmed word for word: "Bresnahan said he supported Israel; 'I trust the IDF and what they need to do; we should continue to provide them the weapons they need to fight their war.'" The same account records his Ukraine remarks ("It just cannot be an open checkbook") and his then-opponent's response, which belongs to that opponent.
  • [Position, 2024-11-27] Jewish Insider's post-election interview: "We have to trust the IDF, and we need to provide them the resources that they need to eradicate Hamas". Opened and confirmed.
  • [Not verified, reportedly May 2024] A Newsmax remark that he trusted the Israel Defense Forces more than the Biden White House was attributed to him on a Newsmax Facebook video page. That page does not open (it returns "Not Found"), and no other source for the remark was located. The source could not be opened, so the remark is not verified and is not used on the card.
  • [Position, 2025-03-04] Co-sponsor of H.R. 1229, the United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025: Congress.gov's cosponsor list shows "Rep. Bresnahan, Robert [R-PA-8]" with the date 03/04/2025, and BillTrack50 lists him among the bill's 182 sponsors. The Congressional Research Service summary says the bill "requires or authorizes certain actions to increase defense-related cooperation between the United States and Israel", including a cooperative program against unmanned systems and an extension of the Defense Department's authority to "transfer defense articles intended for use as reserve stocks for Israel through January 1, 2029."

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • Nothing located in his own words at any date. The Republican Jewish Coalition's July 11, 2024 announcement endorsing him (the coalition's own announcement; also reported by Jewish News Syndicate) said Republicans would stand with Israel "including by banning U.S. aid to Hamas' abettors UNRWA". That line is about Republicans in general: the announcement's paragraph on him does not mention UNRWA, and it is not his statement.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Position, 2024-11-27] From the Jewish Insider interview: after a year of war he did not view a two-state solution as viable, and advocated economic pressure to "put Iran in a box". The Iran remark is recorded here only.
  • [Position, 2024-03-09] During his campaign he criticized his opponent's interaction with protesters, writing that the district required "moral clarity, NOT confusion on where to stand with our top middle eastern ally", per a reader's letter in the Times Leader that quotes his post; his own post's address requires a login and does not open.
  • [Position, 2024-03-25, source could not be opened] A post criticizing the UN Security Council ceasefire resolution as abandoning Israel is reported; its address requires a login. Recorded, unquoted.
  • [Position, 2025-06-22] After U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites he backed deterrence measures, per a colleague's in-the-news page. Iran material, not on the card summary.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Position, 2024-07-11] The Republican Jewish Coalition, which describes itself as "Fostering & Enhancing Ties Between the American Jewish Community & Republican Lawmakers", endorsed his candidacy, per the announcement and report linked above. Tracked funding totals appear as a badge on this card.

Safety and antisemitism (context)

  • [Position, 2025-05-23] Original co-sponsor of House Resolution 447 condemning antisemitism and memorializing the two Israeli Embassy employees killed in Washington, per the lead sponsor's release, which names him.
  • [Position, 2026-03-20] Joined the bipartisan request for $1 billion for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program protecting houses of worship and community centers, per the lead sponsors' release.
  • [Position, 2026-08-13] He announced $1 million in federal grant funding at the Friedman Jewish Community Center in Kingston; his own release and the Times Leader describe the grant as for early childhood education at that center. The grant is for education at a Jewish community institution, not for security, and is recorded here as that.

Race and status context

  • Sitting representative and the Republican nominee, seeking a second term against Paige Cognetti, per Ballotpedia.

Also in this race

  1. ✗ Paige Cognetti (Democrat)

All Pennsylvania candidates.

But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Every claim on this page goes through at least two verification steps. Open Find Your Candidates for votes, funding and contact details.