Tom Cotton

In May 2024, Cotton introduced the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, legislation that would require the administration to complete weapons deliveries to Israel after President Biden said certain weapons could be withheld if Israel conducted a full-scale operation in Rafah. The bill would also withhold the salaries of State Department or Defense Department officials who acted to block those deliveries.

In June 2024, Cotton wrote to President Biden alleging that the administration was delaying weapons and ammunition requested by Israel. He requested a complete list of Israel's requests, the status of each transaction, and explanations for any delays.

In April 2022, Cotton and several Republican colleagues urged the administration to provide Israel with military capabilities needed to defend itself and prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear-weapons capability. The letter called for faster delivery of refueling aircraft, tactical aircraft, helicopters, precision-guided munitions, and multilayered air-defense support.

On April 15, 2026, Cotton voted against motions to discharge S.J. Res. 32 and S.J. Res. 138, which would have advanced resolutions blocking proposed military sales to Israel. Both motions failed. The votes are consistent with his longstanding opposition to congressional efforts to halt weapons transfers to Israel.

In September 2024, Cotton and Representative Elise Stefanik led 37 Republican colleagues in criticizing the administration's Iran policy and warning that Iran had advanced its nuclear program to the brink of nuclear breakout.

In August 2025, Cotton applauded European action to initiate snapback sanctions against Iran. He said Iran must never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon and called for the complete dismantlement of its nuclear program.

In March 2026, Cotton opposed an Iran War Powers Resolution that would have required the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran. He defended continued military operations and said the United States would not stop until Iran's nuclear-weapons ambitions and nuclear facilities were eliminated.

In May 2024, Cotton described Israel as facing threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and the Houthis. He called Hamas a terrorist organization waging a war against Israel and described Hezbollah as the most heavily armed terrorist organization in the world.

In January 2025, Cotton reintroduced the PLO and PA Terror Payments Accountability Act. The bill would sanction foreign persons, entities, and financial institutions involved in payments to Palestinian terrorists or their families through the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization's compensation system.

In October 2024, Cotton urged USAID to suspend humanitarian assistance to Gaza until it adopted what he considered credible safeguards against diversion to Hamas or other terrorist-linked groups.

In May 2026, Cotton and 24 Senate colleagues urged the administration to work through the United Nations to dismantle UNRWA and eliminate its UN budget, citing reports and investigations alleging ties between some UNRWA employees and Hamas or other terrorist organizations.

On October 7, 2023, Cotton condemned the attack by Hamas, described the organization as Iran's proxy, and called for the United States to provide Israel with the military and diplomatic support needed to destroy Hamas.

On October 17, 2023, Cotton sought unanimous consent for legislation to permanently freeze $6 billion in Iranian funds. He described the October 7 attack as a massacre of Israeli and American civilians and called for Hamas to be destroyed as a terrorist organization, governing entity, and social movement.

In September 2024, Cotton criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for failing to identify Hamas as responsible after six hostages were executed and for declining to state clearly that Hamas is a terrorist organization.

On the second anniversary of the attack, Cotton described October 7 as the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, said Hamas could not remain in power, and argued that the United States should back Israel fully to rescue the hostages and honor the victims.

In March 2024, Cotton introduced the Stop Pro-Terrorist Riots Now Act in response to what his office described as antisemitic and pro-Hamas protests involving violence. The bill would raise the maximum penalty for rioting and create a mandatory minimum sentence for engaging in or supporting an act of violence during a riot.

In November 2024, Cotton and several colleagues reintroduced the Anti-BDS Labeling Act, which would prevent the executive branch from reversing guidelines allowing certain Israeli goods produced in Israeli-controlled areas to be labeled 'Made in Israel.' Cotton characterized alternative labeling rules as discriminatory and antisemitic.

In March 2026, Cotton addressed a symposium on antisemitism. He said he did not share a political movement or party with anyone who traffics in antisemitism and criticized antisemitism among some figures associated with the political right.

In November 2023, Cotton and two Senate colleagues urged the Department of Education to act against antisemitic threats and harassment at colleges and K-12 schools. They argued that schools have a duty to protect Jewish students and could lose federal funding if they enable discrimination or harassment through inaction.

In April 2024, Cotton led 26 Senate Republican colleagues in urging the Justice Department and Department of Education to restore order on college campuses and protect Jewish students from violence, threats, and discrimination.

In December 2023, Cotton introduced the Woke Endowment Security Tax Act, proposing a one-time tax on large university endowments while criticizing institutions for failing to condemn antisemitism and violence against Jewish students. He reintroduced the bill in March 2025.

In June 2024, Cotton introduced the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act. The legislation would sanction and revoke visas from people involved in International Criminal Court efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Americans, Israelis, or other allied citizens.

In September 2024, Cotton accused the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights of drawing false equivalencies between Israel and Hamas and pressed the official to identify Hamas clearly as a terrorist organization.

In October 2024, Cotton urged President Biden to designate UNRWA as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity, alleging that the agency had extensive ties to Hamas and that continued support for it prolonged the war.

In May 2026, Cotton and 24 Senate colleagues urged the administration to seek UN action fully dismantling UNRWA and eliminating the agency's UN budget.