1. Bills, Resolutions
2. Letters
3. Hearings
4. Selected Members on the Record
5. Selected Media & Press releases/Statements
1. Bills & Resolutions
Update — (TARGETING THE ICC) HR 23: On 1/28/25, Senate leaders sought to end debate on HR 23 (“invoke cloture”) in order to bring the measure to a vote. That vote, which required at least 60 “yes” votes to pass, FAILED by a vote of 54-45. All Republicans voted in favor; all Democrats present–other than Fetterman (D-PA)–voted against. Floor speeches/grandstanding is here.
- Democrats on the Record: Many, many Democrats’ weighed in publicly on this vote, including with floor statements, press releases, and on social media. Their overarching message boiled down to: we join Republicans in hating the ICC but this is a bad bill; if Republicans were serious they would have worked with us to fix it! Also see: See: Schumer (D-NY); Shaheen (D-NH); Gillibrand (D-NY); Cortez Masto (D-NV), Rosen (D-NV), Booker (D-NJ), Gillibrand (D-NY), Kelly (D-AZ), Blumenthal (D-CT), Wyden (D-OR), Schiff (D-CA), Peters (D-MI), and Gallego (D-AZ); Slotkin (D-MI), Hoyer (D-MD)
- Republicans on the Record: Many, many Republicans weighed in publicly on this vote, including with floor statements, press releases, and on social media. Their overarching message: the ICC is anti-Israel/anti-American/antisemitic; Democrats don’t support Israel OR America (and maybe are antisemitic or in league with antisemites in the party). Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) (also here) covered all the bases in his 1/28/25 X-post: “Democrats chose to vote against standing up for our ally, Israel. What’s even worse, they chose to vote against standing up for our own citizens. Apparently the ‘America last’ playbook is alive and well in the Democrat party.” Also see: McConnell (R-KY), McConnell (R-KY), Thune (R-SD), Risch (R-ID), Lankford (R-OK), plus see X and other social media platforms for comments from many, many Republicans, plus of course Fetterman (D-PA)
- Of special note: Roy (R-TX), lead sponsor of HR 23 — 1/29/25: X-thread – “Senate Dems proved they would rather stand with a rogue, globalist court than with American service members and our allies — whom this bill would have protected. This isn’t over. If the ICC is allowed to target Israel unchecked, they will go after American service members and veterans — like the thousands who live in TX-21 — again in the future. Congress needs to get this done and I will not let up until we do.” [emphasis added]
- Of special note: Fetterman (D-PA) 1/28/25: X-post – “Deeply disappointed by the outcome of the ICC sanctions bill. My vote follows Israel—not the ICC that equivocated the democratically elected leader of our special ally to the terrorists and rapists of Hamas.“
- Selected Media: Senate Dems block bill to impose sanctions on International Criminal Court [“Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he opposed ‘the ICC’s deep bias against Israel’ but that the legislation was ‘poorly drafted and deeply problematic.’”] (Jewish News Syndicate 1/28/25); ICC sanctions bill fails to advance in Senate over Democratic opposition (Washington Examiner 1/28/25); Senate Democrats block GOP’s ICC sanctions bill (The Hill 1/28/25); Senate Democrats Squash GOP-Led ICC Sanctions Bill (National Review 1/28/25); Senate Democrats block ICC sanctions bill [“Every Senate Democrat except for John Fetterman voted against the sanctions bill”] (Jewish Insider 1/28/25); Congress moves to sanction International Criminal Court (Washington Post 1/28/25); Shaheen says Democrats want changes to ICC bill to protect contractors, member states (Jewish Insider 1/28/25); Democrats betrayed Israel and US interests on the ICC (Jewish News Syndicate 1/29/25); Scoop: Senate Democrats’ first major anti-Israel vote is a political liability for 2026: “Senate Democrats hate Netanyahu” (Washington Reported 1/30/25)
New
(THE RETURN – AGAIN – OF THE ISRAEL ANTI-BOYCOTT ACT) Lawler press release 1/31/25: Lawler and Gottheimer Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Stop International Governmental Organizations from Discriminating Against Israel. Also see:
- Jewish Insider 1/31/25: “Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) are set to reintroduce the IGO Anti-Boycott Act today, which expands existing anti-boycott laws to include international organizations…“
- REMINDER: Lawler and Gottheimer introduced this same bill in 2023 (HR 3016) – for details of the legislation, the members’ statements around it, and how it fared in the last Congress, see the 5/5/23 and 2/16/24 editions of the Round-Up.
(TARGETING IRAN) S. Res. 43: Introduced 1/29/25 by Graham (R-SC), Fetterman (D-PA) and Britt (R-AL), “A resolution affirming the threats to world stability from a nuclear weapons-capable Islamic Republic of Iran.“ Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
2. Letters
None.
3. Hearings
February 5, 2025: The House Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold a hearing entitled, “The State of American Education.” No details are yet available, but past hearings in this committee have repeatedly focused on attacking campuses for permitting protest and/or criticism of Israel, or academic content that is inconsistent with a pro-Israel/Zionist agenda. Also see: Committee press release.
January 30, 2025: The Senate Intelligence Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to be Director of National Intelligence. Also see:
- hearing video
- Gabbard statement; Additional Pre-hearing Questions (and written answers – including related to Israel, Iran, Syria, Hamas/Hizballah).
- Real Clear Politics (Aryeh Lightstone) 1/28/25: Why It’s Time for Tulsi [“It’s time for the Senate to confirm Tulsi Gabbard. For America, for Israel, and for the world.”]
January 30, 2025: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a business meeting on the nomination of Elise Stefanik as US Ambassador to the UN to the Senate floor. The Committee voted to advance the nomination to the full Senate, with 6 Democrats voting “no” in protest of President Trump’s suspension of foreign aid. Also see:
- Roll Call 1/30/25: Senate panel backs Stefanik as Democrats protest foreign aid pause
- The Hill 1/30/25: Senate Democrats revolt against Trump in fallout from foreign aid freeze
- Press releases 1/30/25 – Risch Statement on Nomination of Representative Stefanik Prior to Floor Vote; Ranking Member Shaheen Statement on the Nomination of Representative Elise Stefanik Clearing Committee, Now Heads to Full Floor Vote
4. Selected Members on the Record
- Graham (R-SC) 1/30/25: Graham Statement on Passing of Robbi Force [mother of Taylor Force, whose murder became the hook for Graham-led legislation banning US aid to the PA]
- Rosen (D-NV) 1/29/25: Rosen Named Ranking Member of Senate Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism [“At a time of unrest throughout the Middle East, U.S. leadership is needed more than ever to support Israel, oppose Iranian aggression, and navigate political transitions in Syria and Lebanon. I look forward to working with Chairman Dave McCormick to tackle these complex challenges and maintain strong, bipartisan support for the US-Israel relationship.”]
- Mace (R-SC) 1/29/25: in response to Trump EO to deport students who foreign protest for Palestinian lives/rights, X-post– “If you’re standing with Hamas, you’re either a terrorist or someone who supports terrorism, and either way, you’re a direct threat to the safety and security of this nation.“
- Welch (D-VT) 1/29/25: Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor About the Ceasefire in Gaza
- Welch (D-VT) 1/28/25: X-post – “Just as I said during the last administration: America shouldn’t give Israel 2,000-pound bombs to drop on one of the most densely populated areas in the world. We should help bring the remaining hostages home, surge aid for civilians in need, and create a lasting peace.“
- Turner (R-OH) 1/28/25: X-post – “Israel’s Iron Dome, jointly developed with the United States, has long been a proven, effective deterrent against Iran and its proxies. I look forward to working with @POTUS and @SecDef to accomplish the Iron Dome for America.”
- Cotton (R-AR) 1/26/25: X-post – “<>We predicted that Hamas might break the terms of the deal and that’s apparently exactly what happened yesterday. If Hamas wants to continue this ceasefire, they need to respect every single term of that deal.”
- Frankel (D-FL) 1/25/25: Frankel Lauds the Release of Four IDF Hostages and the Israel-Hamas Agreement
- Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jacobs (D-CA) 1/24/25: Van Hollen, Jacobs Confirm UAE Providing Weapons to RSF in Sudan, in Contradiction to its Assurances to US
- Tlaib (D-MI) 1/24/25: X-post – “The Israeli apartheid regime is continuing to kill Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinians have been so dehumanized that it hasn’t even made headlines. The ethnic cleansing has not ended. They will never stop until there’s an arms embargo.“
5. Selected Media
Congress Shall Stand with Israel!
- Sludge 1/24/25: Here Is All the Money AIPAC Spent on the 2024 Elections
- Jewish News Syndicate 1/29/25: Mr. Van Hollen, it’s time to update archaic views on Israel
- DropSite News 1/29/25: X-post – “REPORT: U.S. doctors traveled to Washington, D.C., to brief Senate offices on the deliberate shooting of children in Gaza. No Senators or senior staff attended the presentation. Dr. Mimi Syed, along with doctors @FerozeSidhwa and @mperlmuttermd, described the gunshot wounds to the head and chest suffered by Palestinian children at the hands of the Israeli army. ‘None of the senior officials met with us, it was all basically interns,’ Syed said. She noted that while attendees seemed aware of the situation in Gaza, ‘they all felt guarded in their responses.’“
- The Forward 1/29/25: Combative Jewish lawmaker Randy Fine, a Trump favorite, wins Florida GOP House primary [“Fine, who is expected to win election easily, courted controversy for tweeting what observers said was a threat against Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar” — as a reminder, Fine tweeted on 11/26/24 – “The ‘Hebrew Hammer’ is coming. @RashidaTlaib and @IlhanMN might consider leaving before I get there. #BombsAway” — a tweet that, had it been posted by a critic of Israel tagging Jewish members of Congress, would almost certainly have led to a national outcry, a condemnation by Congress, and quite possibly involvement of law enforcement…]. Also see: Pro-Israel firebrand Randy Fine wins Florida congressional primary (Jewish Insider 1/28/25); Pro-Israel Lawmaker Randy Fine Wins Florida GOP Primary, Favorite to Replace Trump Adviser Mike Waltz in Congress (The Algemeiner 1/30/25)
(Greater) Israel Engagement with Congress
- Jewish Insider 1/29/25: New Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter makes first trip to Capitol Hill
- Bet El (settlement in West Bank) Friends (by Yisrael Ganz, Head of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council) 1/29/25: Made-in-Jerusalem Decisions, with Help From Washington [“…I was privileged to take part in this important ceremony, in which the new leader of the superpower of the U.S. was crowned, as the representative of all residents of Binyamin and all those of Judea and Samaria (Yesha). The invitation to the United States’ most prestigious ceremony reflects the appreciation that senior Trump Administration officials have for Judea and Samaria in particular, and for Israel in general…After having spoken to many senior officials in Washington, I can say with certainty that if our Prime Minister places this matter at the top of his priorities in his meeting with President Trump, the chances are good that within a relatively short time, we will be able to take a great step towards this goal. Within the Administration, as well as the House of Representatives and the Senate, we saw that there is great potential support for this initiative. As usual, the way to actualize this is by making the right decisions back home in the Jewish State. Many influential members of Congress see us, the Israelis, as the torch-bearers of the Biblical legacy, and believe that the Holy Land is Divinely ours. Others simply understand who are the good guys in the Middle East, and recognize that we in Yesha and Israel represent the frontlines in the free world’s battle against the axis of evil. Over the past years of contact with several Congressional members, we constantly reminded them of the need to retract the unfair sanctions that the Biden Administration placed upon individuals and organizations in Yesha. These precious friends of ours fulfilled their promises, and within a half-hour of Mr. Trump’s taking office, he signed an Executive Order voiding the sanctions. He thus sent an important message regarding the future of Judea and Samaria…“]
Other stuff
- Orthodox Union Advocacy Conference 2/2/25-/24/25, “Attorneys Conference: Combating Antisemitism Through the Law” ft. (among others) Sen. Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Goldman (D-NY)
- Israel Hayom 1/29/25: US Congress set to scrutinize Egypt’s breach of peace accord [“Israel Hayom has exclusively learned that one of the key agenda items addresses mounting concerns over the expanding presence of Egyptian military forces in Sinai, which violates the security annex of the 1979 peace agreement.”]
- Public Radio of Armenia 1/29/25: US legislators briefed on threats to Jerusalem Armenian Quarter
- Jewish Insider 1/28/25: Rep. Jeff Crank, new Armed Services Committee member, urges muscular approach on Iran