FMEP Legislative Round-Up August 2, 2024

Resource

1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters
3. Hearings
4. Israel/Palestine in 2024 Elex/Politics
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

1. Bills & Resolutions

GETTING READY FOR WAR WITH IRAN

  • (AUTHORIZATION OF US WAR ON IRAN) S. J. Res. 107: Introduced 8/1/24 by Graham (R-SC), “A joint resolution to authorize the use of military force against the Islamic Republic of Iran if the President determines that the Islamic Republic of Iran is planning or conducts an attack against any former, current, or incoming United States Government official or senior military personnel.”Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  • (AUTHORIZATION OF US WAR ON IRAN) S. J. Res. 106: Introduced 7/31/24 by Graham (R-SC), “A joint resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against the Islamic Republic of Iran for threatening the national security of the United States through the development of nuclear weapons.”  Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Also see: Graham introduces war powers bill to strike Iran’s nuclear program [“The South Carolina senator unveiled the resolution just ahead of the Senate’s August recess, with plans to attempt to force Senate floor consideration when lawmakers return in September”] (Jewish Insider 8/1/24)
  • (“DETERRING” IRAN/HEZBOLLAH) S. Res. 784: Introduced 7/31/24 by Graham (R-SC), “A resolution deterring Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic of Iran for their repeated and continued acts of terrorism against the State of Israel and the United States and urging the United States to use all diplomatic tools available to hold them accountable for such actions.” Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Also see: US Senator Graham calls for military force against Iran over Hezbollah threats (Jerusalem Post 7/31/24); US senator introduces bill to hold Iran accountable for proxy attacks (The Nation 7/31/24)
  • (REPORT ON IRAN INTERFERENCE IN US POLITICS, INCL FUNDING OF PROTESTS) S. 4883 (pdf): Introduced 7/31/24 by Cotton (R-AR), “A bill to require the Director of National Intelligence to issue a report on interference by Islamic Republic of Iran in United States domestic politics, and for other purposes,” aka the “Unmasking Networks of Virtual Election Interference and Lies (UNVEIL) Act.” Referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence. Also see: press release – Cotton Introduces Bill to Unmask Iranian Election Interference; GOP Senators Push Biden-Harris Admin To Expose Iranian Election Interference Plot (Free Beacon 7/31/24)
  • (GIVE ISRAEL MASSIVE BOMBS TO ATTACK IRAN) HR 9206 (pdf): Introduced 7/30/24 by Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mast (R-FL), “To authorize the President to take actions to ensure Israel is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon, and for other purposes,” aka, “The Bunker Buster Act.” Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Also see: press release – Gottheimer, Mast Announce Bipartisan Bunker Buster Act to Combat Iranian Threats, Protect Key Ally Israel – Critical to America’s global fight against terrorism; House reps introduce ‘Bunker Buster Act’ to thwart Iranian nuclear development (Jewish News Syndicate 8/1/24)
  • (SANCTIONING ANYONE TRYING TO GET AROUND US BANKING SANCTIONS) S. 4858 (pdf): Introduced 7/30/24 by Rubio (R-FL), “A bill to require the imposition of sanctions with respect to financial institutions of countries of concern that clear, verify, or settle transactions with other financial institutions of such countries,” aka the “Sanctions Evasion Prevention and Mitigation Act.”  Referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Also see: press release – Rubio Introduces Bill to Counter Adversarial Financial Systems [“China, Russia, and Iran use alternate financial systems to evade U.S. sanctions. Our nation must bolster its economic defense against this circumvention…”]

Other stuff

(FY25 SENATE NDAA – AMENDMENTS) S. 4638: Amendments continued to pour in this week on S. 4638, the Senate’s version of the FY25 NDAA – see last week’s Round-Up for details up to last week. This week’s crop of Middle East-related amendments:

  • (SOFTENING THE LEAHY LAW/CARVE OUT FOR ISRAEL & FRIENDS) S. Amdt. 3181: Offered by Cornyn (R-TX), Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Cardin (D-MD), this amendment is an expanded version of  S. Amdt. 2988, introduced last week by Cornyn and Cortez Mastro. That amendment seeks to soften the Leahy Law to  allow continued US military aid/cooperation (or allow it to be re-started) in the case where the govt in question “is taking effective steps to bring the responsible members of the security forces unit to justice” — as opposed to the current law, which requires that the govt “has taken all necessary corrective steps.” S. Amdt. 3181 expands on that amendment by requiring a “Feasibility Report on Vetting of Foreign Military Units for Joint Exercises and Support of Foreign Military Units for Joint Exercises and Support.” This report would set the stage for requiring Leahy Law vetting of foreign military units involved in any joint exercises in which the U. S. participates (as things stand today under the Leahy Law, such vetting is required only when such exercises are funded by the U.S.). So in that sense, the amendment would expand Leahy Law vetting (arguably a very good thing). At the same time, the amendment quietly but quite explicitly seeks to establish a Leahy Law blanket exception/carve out for NATO members, Israel, Japan, Republic of Korea, and New Zealand, with respect to joint exercises, including exercises that the U.S. funds – further weakening the Leahy Law with respect to such countries.
  • (ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL) S. Amdt. 3208: Offered by Scott (R-SC), requiring a report to Congress on boycotts described in section 1773(a) of the Anti-Boycott Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4842(a)) targeted at the State of Israel. NOTE: this is the longstanding U.S. law barring U.S. persons complying with coercive boycotts of Israel imposed by any foreign country (it does NOT bar US persons from boycotting Israel – or settlements – based on their own values/political beliefs – efforts to legislate against such boycotts have failed, so far).

(FY25 DEFENSE APPROPS – SENATE) S. 4921 (pdf): On 8/1/24 the Senate Appropriations Committee reported out S. 4921, “A bill making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes.” This bill includes: $500 million for “Israeli Cooperative Programs”, earmarked as follows: $110 million for Iron Dome, $127 million for the Short Range Ballistic Missile Defense (SRBMD) R&D and $40 million for SRBD co-production; $50 million for co-production activities of Arrow 3 Upper Tier;  and $173 million for the Arrow System Improvement Program. Per the Republicans’ press release, the bill also includes for Israel, “$150 million for cooperative initiatives related to anti-tunneling ($47.5 million), emerging technology ($47.5 million), and countering drones ($55 million)” [note that these funds are not discussed in the bill text or the narrative of the Report, but are buried in the tables at the end of the bill, without any mention of Israel]. Also see: report accompanying the bill; committee press release; hearing video; amendments adopted in committee; Senate committee votes to boost U.S.-Israel counter-drone funding, holds counter-tunnel funding flat (Jewish Insider 8/2/24). REMINDER – funding for Israeli the Defense Approps & the NDAA are in addition to the more than $3 billion in aid included in the annual State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.

(TARGETING UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR HUMAN RIGHTS) S. 4894: Introduced 7/31/24 by Rubio (R-FL), “A bill to urge the United Nations to abolish the position of Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and to withhold United States funding for such position. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

(NO TO MILITARY SALE TO KSA) S. J. Res. 105: Introduced 7/30/24 by Paul (R-KY), “A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of certain defense articles and services.”  Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

2. Letters

WE SUPPORT ISRAEL

TARGET: FREE SPEECH/PROTEST/CRITICISM OF ISRAEL (and maybe also actual antisemitism but meh)

TARGET: BIDEN ADMIN (using Iran as hook for witch hunt)

OTHER

 

3. Hearings & Markups

July 30, 2024: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing entitled, Strategic Competition with the PRC: Assessing U.S. Competitiveness Beyond the Indo-Pacific. The sole witness was Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell (statement). Also see: Murphy (D-CT) press release – Murphy Questions Deputy Secretary Of State On Efforts To Combat Chinese Misinformation And Further U.S. Interests In The Middle East; Barrasso (R-WY) press release – Barrasso: China is “Puppet Master” Using Russia, Iran against U.S.

 

4. Israel/Palestine in 2024 Politics/Elex

General

Missouri

Arizona

Minnesota

Florida

5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

Escalation on all fronts

Palestinians/Gaza Strip

Reflections/analysis re: Bibi Address to Congress

Targeting Free Speech/Protest

Other stuff