But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Steven Shook
Democrat · U.S. House, Texas District 26
✓Opposes
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.
Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: Asked whether he backs halting aid to nations such as Israel, he answered absolutely yes and said the U.S. should not provide military aid or weapons to governments committing ongoing abuses, a halt until compliance with nothing pointing the other way. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-01. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
Asked whether he supports halting U.S. military aid to nations committing human rights abuses, Shook answered "Absolutely yes": the U.S. "should not provide military aid, weapons, or diplomatic cover to any government committing serious or ongoing human rights abuses, including Israel".
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.
Shook is a critical care nurse practitioner and the Democratic nominee in Texas’s 26th District.
On U.S. weapons his answer was unqualified. In a candidate questionnaire published July 26, 2026, asked whether he backed halting aid to nations such as Israel and Egypt, an initial search records that he answered "Absolutely yes" and said the United States "should not provide military aid, weapons, or diplomatic cover to any government committing serious or ongoing human rights abuses", with assistance conditioned on compliance with U.S. and international law, protection of civilians and strict accountability. That answer is quoted directly. An earlier check called the page paywalled, which was a fault in how we read the page, retracted on 2026-08-11.
On aid into Gaza he spoke from his own profession. On January 7, 2026 he called Israel’s suspension of operating licences for 37 international aid organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, "deeply disturbing and unacceptable", and noted that he had himself been pending approval to travel to Gaza as a healthcare provider. No source page for that statement opened: the only url an initial search attached is a post from a broadcaster’s account, not his.
His campaign platform calls for foreign leadership prioritising diplomacy, human rights, international humanitarian law and civilian protection.
His campaign also rejects AIPAC backing and features endorsements from groups organised against pro-Israel lobbying. That is a money-and-lobbying commitment rather than a position on weapons or funding, and it is on the research page.
The money
Checked the five lobbying groups we track; no direct 2026 support found
2026 support from the five lobbying groups we track
Nothing recorded (as of 2026-07-23) from the five lobbying groups we track; earlier cycles and earmarked donations not yet tracked.
Support-only OpenFEC data. Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
✓ Endorsed by Track AIPAC
Track AIPACA watchdog on AIPAC-linked money. It backs candidates who reject AIPAC support and call for an arms embargo and conditions on aid to the government of Israel.These endorsements come from groups that push to restrict or end U.S. weapons transfers to the government of Israel. Endorsements from these groups are shown for information; they do not decide the mark.
In their words
Endorsements
Track 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
2026-07-26 [Current position; VERIFIED 2026-08-11]: In a candidate questionnaire, asked whether he supported halting aid to nations such as Israel and Egypt, an initial search records his answer as "Absolutely yes", with: the United States "should not provide military aid, weapons, or diplomatic cover to any government committing serious or ongoing human rights abuses", and military assistance must be conditioned on compliance with U.S. and international law, protection of civilians and strict accountability.
⚠ **NOT PAYWALLED.** The text is on the page; our first reading of it lost the body. Read in full 2026-08-11 and quoted verbatim above. ⚠ **THE CONDITION IS THE CONDUCT.** As with the other three answers to this questionnaire series, the question named Israel among countries committing abuses and his answer is about such governments generally. His is the most emphatic of the four and it still turns on conduct.
Undated [Current position]: His campaign platform, listed five times in the sources, calls for responsible foreign leadership prioritising diplomacy, human rights, international humanitarian law and civilian protection. Not opened.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
2026-01-07 [Current position; SOURCE DID NOT OPEN]: An initial search reports he called Israel's suspension of operating licences for 37 international aid organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, "deeply disturbing and unacceptable", praised aid workers whose "sole mission is to save lives and care for civilians in crisis", and noted he had been pending approval to travel to Gaza as a healthcare provider.
⚠ **THE ONLY SOURCE IS SOMEONE ELSE'S POST.** The url attached is a CGTN America Facebook post about the licence suspensions, which would not open and is a broadcaster's account, not his. His own statement has no source page. This is the more distinctive half of his record, because it comes from his own profession.
Characterization of the conflict
2026-01-07 [Current position; same missing source page]: He frames the conflict through a medical and humanitarian lens, with civilian protection and international humanitarian law as the central pillars.
Rhetoric and lobbying
[A money-refusal pledge must never read as a weapons or funding position.]
2026 [Current position]: His campaign rejects backing from AIPAC and features endorsements from groups organised against pro-Israel lobbying, named by an initial search as Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption and Track AIPAC, on his campaign site. A fundraising page titled "Steven rejects AIPAC" is among the sources.
Safety and antisemitism
[Context only, never the answer to what America sends.]
2026-07-30 and 2026-08-03 [Current position; SOURCE DID NOT OPEN]: He took part in a "Hate Has No Home Here" town hall in Frisco and afterwards emphasised stopping division and promoting community safety, respect and inclusion across North Texas. Its source page, a Facebook post, would not open.
An initial search’s verdict: beyond his general anti-hate platform he has issued no detailed statement or standalone policy on antisemitism or Jewish community safety.
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.