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

David Kustoff

Republican · U.S. House, Tennessee District 8
✗Supported sending weapons or funding in 6 of 6 tracked votes

Kustoff welcomed the April 2024 package replenishing Israel's Iron Dome, David's Sling and Iron Beam and supplying advanced weaponry. Visiting Jerusalem in July 2024 he criticized the administration's withholding of certain munitions from Israel. He has said nothing located about U.S. aid to Palestinians.

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Deep Dive

Kustoff represents Tennessee's 8th District, covering West Tennessee outside Memphis, chairs the House-Knesset Parliamentary Friendship Group, and is running for re-election.

His April 2024 statement on the supplemental: "Today's supplemental package will replenish the Iron Dome and David's Sling missile defense systems, as well as the Iron Beam defense system to counter short-range threats." In July 2024 he led a congressional delegation to Jerusalem, met Prime Minister Netanyahu, and told JNS he was concerned about the administration's withholding of certain munitions: "Given the number of mixed messages over the last couple months I am concerned about the Biden-Netanyahu relationship."

In March 2024 he introduced a resolution denouncing the International Court of Justice case, calling South Africa's genocide allegations against Israel "meritless" and asserting Israel's right to defend itself. An advocacy site also lists him as a co-sponsor of the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which would bar the executive from withholding defense shipments to Israel; his recorded vote for that bill is shown as a badge on this card.

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.
Co-sponsorbacks this bill to send more support
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

$65K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $25,000 · Republican Jewish Coalition: $40,000
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.Republican Jewish Coalition$40,000The 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

“Today's supplemental package will replenish the Iron Dome and David's Sling missile defense systems, as well as the Iron Beam defense system to counter short-range threats.”
Source ↗, 2024-04-20
“Given the number of mixed messages over the last couple months I am concerned about the Biden-Netanyahu relationship”
Source ↗, 2024-07-08
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

  • [Position, 2024-04-20] Statement on the national-security supplemental: "Today's supplemental package will replenish the Iron Dome and David's Sling missile defense systems, as well as the Iron Beam defense system to counter short-range threats," plus advanced weaponry and artillery. Opened and confirmed word for word.
  • [Position, 2024-07-08] JNS interview in Jerusalem: concerned about "the administration's withholding of certain munitions," quoted: "Given the number of mixed messages over the last couple months I am concerned about the Biden-Netanyahu relationship." Opened and confirmed word for word. Note: this article also carries statements by other politicians (including Luke Bronin); only Kustoff's own words are used.
  • [Position, May 2024, as reported] Listed as a co-sponsor of the Israel Security Assistance Support Act by Bought by Zionism, an advocacy site. Advocacy and watchlist sources stay visible here as what the research consulted and never carry a card. His recorded Yes on hr8369 is a badge.
  • [After October 7, 2023-11-02] House floor speech promoting the Israel supplemental: "essential that we demonstrate our unwavering support" (video; source not opened).
  • His recorded votes on the tracked bills appear as badges and align with the stated position.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • No statement or documented position found by the research on U.S. aid to Palestinians, UNRWA, or Gaza humanitarian funding.

Characterization of the conflict

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Earlier record, 2023-02-02] House floor speech urging Rep. Ilhan Omar's removal from Foreign Affairs, citing "antisemitic rhetoric" (video; source not opened).
  • [Position, 2024-07-03] Led the congressional delegation launching the House-Knesset Parliamentary Friendship Group with Speaker Ohana and Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Safety and antisemitism (context)

Also in this race

  1. – Heidi Kuhn (Democrat)
  2. – Adam D. Austill (Independent)
  3. – Antonio Futch (Independent)
  4. – Henry J. Ward, III (Independent)
  5. – Horace Taylor (Independent)
  6. – Pamela Jeanine "P." Moses (Independent)
  7. – Wendell "Wells" Blankenship (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.