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

Diana Harshbarger

Republican · U.S. House, Tennessee District 1
✗Supported sending weapons or funding in 6 of 6 tracked votes

Harshbarger opposes any new restrictions or limitations on the security assistance and missile-defense funding the U.S. agreed to send Israel under the 2016 memorandum. In February 2025 she co-sponsored a bill to withdraw the United States from the United Nations, whose agencies include UNRWA, the Palestinian refugee agency.

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Deep Dive

Harshbarger represents Tennessee's 1st District in upper East Tennessee and is running for re-election.

Her position on aid to Israel is stated in her own words on her House issues page, read in full: she signed a letter to House appropriators supporting the security assistance and joint missile-defense funding agreed in the 2016 U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding, and the page says the letter "highlighted my opposition to any NEW restrictions or limitations being added as conditions of these resources to Israel." Her earlier record points the same way: she co-sponsored the Emergency Resupply for IRON DOME Act in 2021 and the Israel Relations Normalization Act.

In February 2025 she co-sponsored the DEFUND Act, which would withdraw the United States from the United Nations entirely. It is a blanket bill about the UN, not an Israel-aid bill; its House sponsor, Rep. Chip Roy, pointed to UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees, when introducing it. Ending U.S. participation in the UN would end the U.S. money that reaches Palestinians through that agency.

The record

Supported sending weapons or funding in 6 of 6 tracked votes · Backs 0 of 1 tracked bills to restrict weapons transfers

Floor votes
H.R. 6126 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act2023-11-02 · Passed 226-196
✗ Voted Yes
supported sending it
H.R. 7217 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-02-06 · Failed 250-180 (needed 2/3 under suspension)
✗ Voted Yes
supported sending it
H.R. 8034 - Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 20242024-04-20 · Passed 366-58
✗ Voted Yes
supported sending it
H.R. 8369 - Israel Security Assistance Support Act2024-05-16 · Passed 224-187
✗ Voted Yes
supported sending 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
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
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.
Not sponsoringhas not backed this support bill
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 6 of 6 tracked votes.)

The money

$25K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $25,000
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$25,000The 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.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
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.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.

In their words

“The letter also highlighted my opposition to any NEW restrictions or limitations being added as conditions of these resources to Israel.”
Source ↗, 2026-08-12
Endorsements

AIPAC (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

  • [Position, published 2026-08-12] Her live House issues page states she joined a letter to House appropriators "in support of the U.S. providing the vital resources that were agreed upon in the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in both security assistance and cooperative U.S.-Israel missile defense programs. The letter also highlighted my opposition to any NEW restrictions or limitations being added as conditions of these resources to Israel." Opened and confirmed word for word.
  • [After October 7, 2023-10-08] Co-signed the Tennessee delegation letter urging the administration to provide Israel with "any weapons and munitions necessary" after the October 7 attacks. material from the weeks right after October 7; not used on the card.
  • [Earlier record, 2021] Co-sponsored H.R. 3706, the Emergency Resupply for IRON DOME Act, supporting funding for Israel's Iron Dome missile-defense system.
  • Her recorded votes on the tracked bills are shown separately on this card as badges; they align with the stated position (four votes for aid packages, votes against the Massie amendment and against striking Israeli Cooperative Programs funding). She has no located statement about any individual vote.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • [Position, 2025-02] Co-sponsored the DEFUND Act (Disengaging Entirely From the United Nations Debacle Act of 2025, introduced by Sen. Mike Lee with a House version by Rep. Chip Roy), which would withdraw the United States from the United Nations. The article confirms her as a House co-sponsor and reports Roy pointing to UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees, as an example of why. Note: the research described this as "legislation seeking to permanently eliminate U.S. funding for UNRWA"; the verified article describes a full UN-withdrawal bill, which is wider. The card states the blanket act and names UNRWA as one of its consequences.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [After October 7, 2023-10-08] The delegation letter described "senseless attacks by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists" and called Israel "a shining beacon of democracy and our most important ally in the Middle East."
  • [After October 7, 2023-10-22] In a WJHL News Channel 11 interview she called the destruction from the attack "unbelievable" and said of Israel's military operation: "When it comes to them making decisions for their own country, it is their decision to go in and take Hamas out, and I support that fully." She added: "The Palestinians themselves are not bad people, it is Hamas."
  • [Earlier record, 2023-04-28] Co-introduced a House resolution with Rep. Randy Weber reaffirming U.S. support for Israel's security and naming Iran as the primary threat, saying: "Israel's national security is synonymous with our own, and I am proud to stand with my colleagues in affirming the United States' commitment to our strongest ally in the Middle East."

Related rhetoric and lobbying

Safety and antisemitism (context)

Consulted and unusable

Also in this race

  1. ✓ Kristi Burke (Democrat)
  2. – Billy Cody (Independent)
  3. – Chris Campbell (Independent)
  4. – Joshua Ray Ashburn (Independent)
  5. – Richard G. Baker (Independent)
  6. – Tyler Brice Mitchell McClain (Independent)

All Tennessee 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.