But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Jim Clyburn
- Backed with $14K by PACs we track that support U.S. weapons funding for the government of Israel (lifetime)
- Sits on House Appropriations
Clyburn backed only the April 2024 supplemental among the tracked aid bills while rejecting both cutting amendments. As Netanyahu addressed Congress in July 2024, he co-led an event with families of Israeli hostages. His reported Netanyahu criticism and declined letter signatures sit on the research page.
The email has replies@butwhatcanyoudo.org in cc, so we can post their answer on their page in their own words; remove it if you prefer. Keep the subject line as it is, add your name, and send.
You asked Jim Clyburn where they stand.
Deep Dive
Clyburn has represented South Carolina’s 6th District since 1993. His six recorded votes appear as badges on this card: Yes on the April 2024 supplemental, No on the other three aid measures, No on both cutting amendments.
His lane is the party’s institutional middle: he has declined both directions of letter-signing, reportedly refusing to sign the April 2024 letter urging a pause in weapons transfers and, in 2021, refusing both a letter for unconditional aid and legislation conditioning it. In July 2024, with Rep. Raskin he co-led a conversation with families of Israeli hostages timed to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address; Jewish Insider’s coverage reports more than 80 Democrats attended the event he hosted with the president of J Street, a liberal pro-Israel group, where speakers were deeply critical of Netanyahu.
His reported direct criticism, that Netanyahu is "not good for Israel" (June 2024), and his Meet the Press remark that leverage "has to be used against Israel" rest on sources we could not read or verify and are carried on the research page on that basis. In 2021-2022 he campaigned for Shontel Brown against a primary opponent who backed conditioning aid, per Jewish Insider.
On antisemitism, his March 2019 defense of Rep. Omar drew criticism, followed by his clarification that "the Holocaust was a unique atrocity"; both reported. He advocates a two-state solution with hostage release. Tracked AIPAC and DMFI support appears as badges on this card.
The record
Supported sending weapons or funding in 3 of 6 tracked votes
House Committee on Appropriations
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 3 of 6 tracked votes.)
The money
$14K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
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 recorded votes appear as badges on this card: No on H.R. 6126, Yes on H.R. 8034, No on H.R. 8369, No on H.R. 7217, No on both cutting amendments.
- [Reported, 2024-04-07] Declining to sign the pause-weapons letter; aggregator and social carriers only, reported basis.
- [Reported, 2021-04-22] Declining both the unconditional-aid letter and conditioning legislation; reported basis.
- [Reported, 2024] The Meet the Press leverage remark; the only source offered is a Facebook clip we could not open. Unverified.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- Nothing located as a distinct position at any date.
Characterization of the conflict
- [General] Two-state advocacy with hostage release; reported basis across carriers.
- [Reported, 2024-06-20] The not-good-for-Israel Netanyahu criticism; weak carriers, reported basis.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Action, 2024-07-24] The hostage-families event, verified on Rep. Raskin’s site with Clyburn named as co-leader; Jewish Insider’s inside-the-chamber report, verified, names him as host. Whether he attended the address itself is not settled by the carriers read; the boycott claim from our search stays reported.
- [Reported, 2015-02] His criticism of Netanyahu’s Congress address arranged without White House coordination; reported basis.
- [Reported, 2021-2022] The Shontel Brown campaigning contrast with aid-conditioning progressives, per Jewish Insider.
- Tracked committee support appears as badges on this card.
Safety and antisemitism
- [Reported, 2019-03] The Omar defense and next-day clarification ("the Holocaust was a unique atrocity which resulted in the deaths of six million Jews"); news carriers, reported basis.
- [Reported, 2024-05-29] The Black-Jewish Relations Caucus statement for Jewish American Heritage Month; we could not corroborate it.
Race and status context
- Sitting member, nominated, in a safe seat. His Republican challenger’s card carries its own record.
Also in this race
- –No Position Found John Peterson (Republican)
All South Carolina candidates.
See everyone on the South Carolina ballot →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.