FMEP Legislative Round-Up March 27, 2026

Resource

1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters
3. Hearings & Markups
4. Selected Members on the Record
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements

New episodes of FMEP’s Occupied Thoughts Podcasts:

  • 3/25/26: How Gaza Broke the Art World, ft. FMEP fellow Ahmed Moor speaking with David Velasco, the former editor-in-chief of the art magazine Artforum.

—————————-

1. Bills & Resolutions

(STANDING WITH PEOPLE OF LEBANON) H. Res. XXX [resolution text]: On 3/27/26 Rep. Tlaib (D-MI) issued a press release – “Standing with the People of Lebanon against the U.S.-backed Israeli Invasion” announcing the introduction of a House resolution, “Standing with the People of Lebanon Against the Illegal Invasion, War Crimes, and Ethnic Cleansing Perpetrated by the State of Israel“, endorsed by a lonnnnngggg list of organizations.

(LEBANON WAR POWER RESOLUTION) H. Res. XXX [resolution text]: On 3/27/26 Rep. Tlaib (D-MI) issued a press release – “Standing with the People of Lebanon against the U.S.-backed Israeli Invasion” announcing the introduction of a the “Lebanon War Powers Resolution,” co-led by Valzquez (D-NY) and co-sponsored by Ramirez (D-IL) and endorsed by a lonnnnngggg list of organizations.

(REMOVE U.S. FROM UNAUTHORIZED WAR WITH IRAN) S. J. Res. 116: Introduced 3/5/26 by Murphy (D-CT) and now having 6 cosponsors, “A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.” Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. On 3/24/26, a Motion to discharge Senate Committee on Foreign Relations [which in the case is, in effect, a vote on the resolution itself] was rejected by a vote of 47-53, with all Republicans except for Paul (R-KY) voting “no,” and all Democrats and Independents voting yes, except for Fetterman (D-PA). Also see:

(WHAT THE MIDDLE EAST NEEDS NOW IS MORE US-ENFORCED NORMALIZATION!) S. XXXX [bill text]: On 3/26/26 Sen. Budd (R-NC) issued a press release – “Budd, Ernst Lead Abraham Accords Defense Cooperation Act to Deter Iranian Aggression Across the Middle East“. As of 11am EDT on 3/27/26 the bill does not yet show up in the Congressional Record. As summarized in the press release, the bill: “Requires the Secretary of Defense to establish an initiative to bolster defense cooperation with Abraham Accords countries” and “Requires the Secretary of Defense to prioritize deterring aggression by Iran and its proxies while also enhancing regional planning and cooperation among Abraham Accords countries, including: Counter-unmanned aircraft system capabilities, ground-based air defense, special operations force development, and joint air or naval military exercises, among other appropriate military capabilities as directed by the Secretary” and “Requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the Senate Armed Services Committee, setting forth a strategy for achieving these objectives and a budget request for carrying out this initiative.”

(LIVE IN PRISON & MORE FOR “TERRORISTS”) HR 8040: Introduced 3/24/26 by Biggs (R-SC), the “No Mercy for Terrorists Act“, aka “To amend title 18, United States Code, to increase the penalties for terrorists.“ Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. Press release – Biggs Introduces No Mercy for Terrorists Act: Never Again Should Terrorist Enablers Escape the Full Force of American Law. NOTE: This bill is included in the Round-Up because other bills of this ilk have erased the distinction between “material support for terrorism” and/or “membership” in a terrorist organization with politically disfavored political/ideological viewpoints and related activism – in effect deeming such views/activism as “aligned” with terrorism and therefore a form of material support — and additionally have sought to codify into law punishments against those merely charged or declared guilty of support for terror (as opposed to actually convicted). Indeed, Biggs’s press release notes that HR 8040 build on Biggs’s previously introduced legislation that, among other things, would revoke or deny U.S. passports to Americans who are merely charged with terrorism-related crimes (as opposed to CONVICTED of such crimes – meaning that Americans holding disfavored views who are outside the U.S. could effectively be permanently expatriated/exiled, without any due process). As of this writing the text of HR 8040 is not available, but given this growing conflation of disfavored First Amendment-protected speech/activity with terrorism, it is worth keeping an eye on…

Media related to other legislation:

2. Letters

3. Hearings & Markups

None.

4. Selected Members on the Record

REMINDER: At some point earlier this month X appears to have killed the feature that allowed me to (relatively) easily track what members of Congress are saying using keyword searches of X lists (after previously killing the functionality that permitted me to conduct this tracking via a script). AS A RESULT: if you want track what members of Congress are saying about Israel/Palestine/Iran/etc on X, you – like me – are now obliged to track 535 accounts individually. Which I don’t have the capacity to do. Meaning that this section of the Round-Up will henceforth be a lot thinner, comprised of press releases posted on members’ website and statements on the Congressional Record, as well as odds and ends of statements on X that I have come across. 

ALSO REMINDER: It is simply beyond the capacity of the Round-Up to track [let alone document] what every member of the House and Senate is saying about the US/Israel war with Iran. To see what a specific member has said, check their websites and social media accounts.

Israel/AIPAC & US politics/elex

  • Castro (D-TX) 3/25/26: X-post w/ video clip – “We are four weeks into a war where both sides have targeted each other’s nuclear facilities. We risk nuclear disaster. Yet the main Trump official on arms control refused to answer my question on Israel’s nuclear capabilities and told me to ask the Israeli government.“
  • Warren (D-MA) 3/25/26: X-post – “Donald Trump’s named his son-in-law Jared Kushner “Peace Envoy.” Now, in the middle of a war with Iran, our ‘Peace Envoy’ is in the Middle East trying to raise $5 BILLION for his private equity firm.“
  • Raskin (D-MD) 3/25/26: X-post – “Donald Trump got the Director of the US Patent and Trade Office to apply for trademarks for the Board of Peace—something it does for no other entity and which is not allowed under federal law. Then he waived the fee for registration. Now he’ll decide whether to grant the application he submitted! No one knows what this Board of Peace is or where the billions of dollars gathered from corrupt foreign states will go. We’re exposing this devious scheme.“
  • Scott (R-SC) 3/24/26: X-post – “Pathetic to see radical Democrats weighing the “risk” of denouncing terrorist attacks at synagogues. The contrast couldn’t be more clear in Michigan: radical terrorist sympathizers like Abdul El-Sayed or America First heroes like Mike Rogers.“
  • Senate Republicans 3/24/26: X-post – “Antisemitic Abdul El-Sayed is campaigning with pro-Hamas influencer Hasan Piker in Michigan. These extremist views should never be allowed near the U.S. Senate.“
  • Gillen (D-NY) 3/24/26: Rep. Gillen Statement on State Department Reopening Crisis Intake Form for Americans in Israel
  • Pocan (D-WI) 3/24/26: X-post – “More and more candidates refusing @AIPAC’s dirty political tactics and money. They are a liability to those they support. People have figured out their uniquely sleazy approach to Dem primaries. Bye bye!” Commenting on Politico 3/24/26 article, 2028 Dem hopefuls scramble for distance from AIPAC
  • Lee (D-PA) 3/22/26: X-thread – “Earlier this week, I made a post that rightfully made some people upset. After careful consideration, I decided to delete it. I want to address it and explain. This was the deleted post: [image of text reading ABOLISH SUPER PACS]. I took this post down for one reason: I know that when I delete a post and share a serious- looking statement, people pay attention, and I wanted you to know that i have a bill to abolish super PACs. But it did make people upset. I had AIPAC in my replies, mad that I was calling out super PACs like theirs, and crypto and AI for dumping tens of millions into primary elections in Illinois and across the country. That’s the part that’s serious: wealthy people and corporations are buying our elections, drowning out our voices, and destroying our democracy. That’s why I introduced the Abolish Super PACs Act. Also, I never actually deleted the post, but thanks for reading to the end!) If you care about getting money out of politics, abolishing super pacs, and putting power back in the hands of the people, follow along!“
  • Jayapal (D-WA) 3/20/26: X-post – “AIPAC spent $20 MILLION in the Illinois primaries, hiding behind fake Super PACs with names designed to deceive voters about who was really pulling the strings. I know this playbook. They’ve used it against me, my sister, and more than a few of my friends. They’re trying it again in Michigan right now against @AbdulElSayed. Elections should be decided by the people, not special interests trying to buy a Congress that serves them.“
  • Pocan (D-WI) 3/21/26: X-post – “No, @AIPAC, no one else does what you do. 1) Take Trump donor money & spend in Dem primaries 2) Fake named groups to spend the money. 3) Never mention Israel in ads, only after elections 4) Spend in Dem primaries to boost people you don’t like to drain votes. Uniquely shitty.” Responding to AIPAC X-post – “We weren’t the first to use this tactic…. And we won’t be the last. But we will be the one called out. Wonder why? The orchestrated campaign to single out and demonize pro-Israel Democrats from participating in the political process is wrong and fundamentally undemocratic.” That post was a response to a Washington Post X-post, “AIPAC’s political arm funneled over $5 million to groups to defeat Illinois Democrats critical of Israel, according to filings. The secretive giving is the latest example of how outside groups are obscuring their spending in competitive campaigns” – linked to article: Super PAC spending passes $200M, with some groups hiding their cause –  Special interest groups, including the pro-Israel AIPAC, have sometimes veiled spending, using what appear to be unrelated organizations to support or attack candidates.
  • Pocan (D-WI) 3/21/26: X-post – “Attention journalists. This should be a national story. Between @AIPAC bragging about what they did the day after the IL election & now financial disclosures, no other Dem primary should be tainted by Trojan-door, Trump donor money. If you do your jobs. Disingenuous at its core.“
  • Stefanik (R-NY) 3/22/26: X-post – “This evening, I was honored to accept the inaugural Eishet Chayil Award by Chabad of Stamford…Here are excerpts from my remarks: “Today, we gather at an incredibly challenging historic time when those values are being tested. The Jewish community in Israel and worldwide are rightfully still reeling from the heinous carnage of Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7th leading to the bloodiest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. We continue to witness a deeply troubling and dangerous rise of antisemitism that skyrocketed after October 7th – in New York, in Michigan, in Texas, and on what were once considered our most elite college campuses.  And most importantly, we are in the midst of the most righteous fight as President Trump launched Operation Epic Fury to defeat the largest state sponsor of terror once and for all, the Iranian ayatollahs who chant Death to Israel and Death to America. And I know for certain, standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel, and allies across the Middle East, we will win this fight. … Antisemitism is an attack on the Jewish people – but it also an attack on humanity and an attack on Western Civilization…”

Israel/West Bank/Gaza

  • Casten (D-IL) 3/24/26: X-post – “Escalating violence by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank is a direct threat to peace and security. Congress must pass my bill, the Ceasefire Compliance Act, which conditions U.S. arms transfers to Israel on compliance with clear standards, including meaningful steps to curb settler violence, enforcing the rule of law, and prohibiting annexation.“
  • Rosen (D-NV) 3/23/26: X-post – “The coordinated attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank at the hands of Israeli extremists are unacceptable, and the perpetrators must be arrested and prosecuted. Violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank is a national security threat to Israel and must be treated as such.“
  • Torres (D-NY) 3/22/26: X-post – “The crisis of extremist settler violence in the West Bank must be confronted, and the perpetrators must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. There should be zero tolerance for violent extremism, no matter what form it takes and no matter what direction from which it comes.“
  • Goldman (D-NY) 3/22/26: X-post – “This is outrageous. Speaker Johnson must bring the West Bank Violence Prevention Act to the floor immediately. Trump should have never rescinded the Biden era sanctions on settlers. Now we’re seeing the poisonous fruit of that decision. This violence is anti-democratic and unacceptable. The Israeli government must hold those responsible accountable, as the rule of law requires.” Responding to Times of Israel article, Dozens of extremist settlers said to raid West Bank Palestinian villages, torch property

Lebanon

  • Van Hollen (D-MD) 3/24/26: X-post – “On Sunday, Defense Minister Katz said Israel would use the “Rafah” model in Lebanon. Earlier this month, the Trump Admin rushed a sale of over 20,000 bombs to the Netanyahu gov. Today, I asked the official who signed off on the transfer if it complies with US policy & intl law. He wouldn’t answer.“
  • Jayapal (D-WA) 3/24/26: X-post – “IDF advances in Lebanon have killed over 1,000 people, including over 100 children, and displaced almost a quarter of Lebanon’s population. These indiscriminate killings and the targeting of civilian infrastructure must stop.”
  • Omar (D-MN) 3/23/26: X-post – “Israel’s attacks on Lebanon are no accident. It’s the direct result of a regional war manufactured by Trump and Netanyahu. Israel has killed over 1,000 people, including 118 children. More than 1 million displaced. Congress must stop bankrolling this terror campaign.“

Targeting Free Speech/Right to Protest/Academia critical of Israel/Zionism; Weaponization of Claims of Antisemitism

  • House Committee on Education & the Workforce (GOP)  3/26/26: X-post – “Students on American campuses are embracing groups whose stated goal is the extermination of Jews. This isn’t activism—it’s antisemitism. As our bombshell report last week showed, schools need to step up and do more to stop the radical professors and student groups driving this hate.“
  • Moody (R-FL) 3/26/26: Senator Moody Applauds Department of Justice’s Action to Combat Antisemitism at Harvard University

Islamophobia

  • Self (R-TX) 3/25/26: X-post – “TOMORROW: The Sharia-Free America Caucus takes over the House floor for a full hour of speeches. 59 members strong, representing 24 states — standing as a united front against the Islamification of America. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Not Sharia. Don’t miss it. Tune in and spread the word.“

5. Selected Media

Israel/AIPAC (and Iran) in US elex & politics – GENERAL

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Illinois

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Massachussetts

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – New York

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – New Jersey

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Michigan

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Texas

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Maine

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Georgia

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Pennsylvania

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Ohio

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Colorado

US/Israel War on Iran & Lebanon

Islamophobia