FMEP Legislative Round-Up March 13, 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:

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1. Bills & Resolutions

(JUSTICE FOR HIND RAJAB) HR 7903 // S. 4905 [bill text]: Introduced 3/12/26 in the Senate by Welch (D-VT) and Van Hollen (D-MD), and in the House by Jacobs (D-CA), Castro (D-TX) and Jayapal (D-WA), the “Justice for Hind Rajab Act“, aka, “To call for accountability for the killing of innocent civilians, including 5-year-old Hind Rajab and two paramedics, in an attack in Gaza City on January 29, 2024, by Israel Defense Forces, to require the Secretary of State to report to Congress on the attack, and for other purposes.” Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary; and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Also see: press release – Welch, Jacobs Introduce Bicameral Bill Demanding Accountability for Hind Rajab, Palestinian Child Killed by Israeli Forces; one-pager on the bill; U.S. Lawmakers Introduce Hind Rajab Accountability Bill (Exclusive) (The Hollywood Reporter 3/12/26)

(REMOVE U.S. FROM UNAUTHORIZED WAR WITH IRAN) S. J. Res. 123: Introduced 3/10/26 by Duckworth (D-IL) and 5 Democratic 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.

(US PERSONNEL WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING ON IRAN SHOULD NOT BE DOING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT DURING US WAR ON IRAN!)  S. Res. 638: Introduced 3/11/26 by Gallego (D-AZ), “A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the law enforcement agents and other personnel of the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, who have been temporarily engaging in civil immigration enforcement operations, should be returned to their primary missions during periods of active hostility with Iran.”  Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (All Actions)

(POLISARIO BETTER NOT COOPERATE WITH IRAN-LINKED ORG!) S. 4063: Introduced 3/11/26 by Cruz (R-TX) and 2 Republican cosponsors, “A bill to impose sanctions on the Polisario Front if it cooperates with an Iranian-affiliated terrorist organization.”  Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

(CENSURING REP. ANDY OGLES) H. Res. 1113: Introduced 3/12/26 by Thanedar (D-MI), “Censuring Representative Andrew Ogles and Removing Him from the House Committee on Homeland Security.” Referred to the House Committee on Ethics. Also see: press release – Congressman Shri Thanedar Introduces Resolution to Censure Andy Ogles for his Hateful Bigotry

Media related to legislation previously covered in the Round-Up:

2. Letters

3. Hearings & Markups

March 12, 2026: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing entitled, Transparency and Trust: Exposing Malign Foreign Influence in Higher Education [hearing video]. Witnesses were: Peter Wood, National Association of Scholars (statement – includes sections on “Ideological Capture through Middle East Studies Centers” and “The “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions” (BDS) Movement and Campus Networks” and “Iranian Government Connections in Academia”); Craig Singleton, FDD (statement); and Robert Daly, Asia Society (statement).

March 20, 2026: The House Appropriations Committee will hold a an Oversight Field Hearing – Accountability and Reform at the United Nations. The sole scheduled witness (as of this writing) is U.S. Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations Michael Waltz.

4. Selected Members on the Record

REMINDER: At some point last week 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/Etc

  • Pocan (D-WI) 3/12/26: X-post – “Friends don’t let friends vote @AIPAC. (Or any other name they use to make you think a candidate’s not purchased by @AIPAC)“
  • Pocan (D-WI) 3/12/26: X-post – “Hey @AIPAC, any comment on Israel dropping the charges of soldiers who sexually assaulted a Palestinian detainee? Silence is complicity. That was f**cking sick.“
  • Omar (D-MN) 3/12/26: X-post – “Just so that we are clear, Israel drops criminal charges on five Israeli soldiers who were caught on camera sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee. But Israel will keep kids in prison for decades because they were throwing rocks? Make it make sense“
  • Ramirez (D-IL) 3/12/26: X-post – “Just as they did in Gaza, Israeli troops are killing women and children and displacing thousands in Lebanon. Congress must act to end our complicity in the start of another endless war. Congress must pass a War Power Resolution and my Block the Bombs Act to save lives, and hold Netanyahu and Trump accountable.“
  • Khanna (D-CA) 3/12/26: X-post – “@jkirchick does a hit piece on me for standing up to the Epstein Class. His real beef with me has been that I have called what happened in Gaza a genocide. I welcome the hatred of Netanyahu apologists.” Responding to Washington Post op-ed, How Ro Khanna turned a sex trafficking scandal into a campaign stunt
  • DeLuzio (D-PA) 3/11/26: Deluzio Statement on Cosponsoring H.R. 3565, the “Block the Bombs” Act
  • Graham (R-SC) 3/11/26: X-post – “I was just informed that the Spanish government has permanently recalled their ambassador to Israel. This is hard for me to absorb. Spain is a member of NATO, and the United States and Israel are in joint operations against the Iranian regime who openly calls for the destruction of the Jewish State, attacks against the West, and seeks to purify Islam in its own image. The religious Nazi regime in Iran is the problem, not the Jewish State. I hope Spain’s actions will not encourage the tyrannical, fanatical regime in Iran — that abuses its own people — to hang on. Time will tell.”

Islamophobia [just a brief selection – in most cases the members doubled down repeatedly in response to push-back)

  • Tuberville (R-AL) 3/12/26: X-post – “The enemy is inside the gates.” Posted as a comment on a post showing pictures side-by-side the the World Trade Center burning on 9/11 and New York City Mayor Mamdani.
  • Fine (R-FL) 3/12/26: “We need more Islamophobia, not less. Fear of Islam is rational.“
  • Ogles (R-TN) 3/9/26: X-post – “Muslims don’t belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie.”
  • Graham (R-SC) 3/8/26: X-post – “Our allies in Israel have shown amazing capability when it comes to collapsing the murderous regime in Iran. America is most appreciative. However, there will be a day soon that the Iranian people will be in charge of their own fate, not the murderous ayatollah’s regime. In that regard, please be cautious about what targets you select. Our goal is to liberate the Iranian people in a fashion that does not cripple their chance to start a new and better life when this regime collapses. The oil economy of Iran will be essential to that endeavor.“
  • Pocan (D-WI) 3/7/26: X-post – “Unfortunately, @AIPAC’s cheerleading of Netanyahu and Trump’s attack on Iran continues to hurt the reputation of Israel and the United States across the world. Killing Palestinian kids isn’t enough. Now it’s ok to kill Iranian kids. Pro Netanyahu. Pro killing kids. AIPAC.”
  • Gottheimer (D-NJ) 3/7/26: X-post – “These comments are not only wrong, but they are dangerous and will feed more antisemitism in our country. Is it really worth throwing Jews under the bus to advance your political ambitions?” Responding to Politico article, Newsom likens Israel to ‘apartheid state,’ questions future military support
  • Meeks (D-NY) 3/6/26: Meeks Issues Statement on Trump Administration’s Decision to Invoke the Arms Export Control Act’s Emergency Authority to Send Weapons to Israel
  • Also see – Members’ videos in support of Israel, posted — with thanks — by AIPAC): Haley (D-MI), Pappas (D-NH), Jack (R-GA), West (D-MO)

Other stuff

  • Warren (D-MA) 3/12/26: At Hearing, Warren Slams State Department and DoD’s Failure To Evacuate Americans From Middle East (at hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee)
  • Warren (D-MA) 3/12/26: ICYMI: CBO Director Confirms The Cost of Trump’s War in Iran Could Cover Health Care for Millions of Americans (at hearing of the Senate Finance Committee)
  • Mace (R-SC) 3/12/26: Rep. Nancy Mace Brings Stranded South Carolina Family Home From Iran Conflict, Helps Evacuate 155 More Americans
  • Cotton (R-AR) 3/10/26: X-post – “We do not share a political movement with anyone who traffics in antisemitism, promotes Liz Warren’s economic policies, or promotes Rashida Tlaib’s foreign policy.“
  • Cruz (R-TX) 3/10/26: X-post – “‘Zionist thugs’ is codeword for ‘Jews.'” Commenting on X-post by Carrie Prejean Boller, “I can’t wait for you all to see my sit down interview with the one and only @TuckerCarlson. Your courage to defend me against the Zionist thugs is honorable. Thank you Tucker“
  • Cotton (R-AR) 3/10/26: Speech at the Republican Jewish Coalition Symposium on Antisemitism [worth reading in full; sample of the flavor of the speech: “There’s a reason antisemitism is called the ancient hatred. It’s been with us always, sadly it will probably always be with us whether it’s spouted by the likes of Father Coughlin, Adolf Hitler, Louis Farrakhan, Ilhan Omar.“
  • Strickland (D-WA) 3/10/26: Marilyn Strickland Sounds Alarm On Low Number Of U.S. Missile Interceptors Amid Strikes On Iran
  • Graham (R-SC) 3/9/26: X-post – “The American Embassy is being evacuated in Riyadh because of sustained attacks by Iran against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is my understanding the Kingdom refuses to use their capable military as a part of an effort to end the barbaric and terrorist Iranian regime who has terrorized the region and killed 7 Americans. Question – why should America do a defense agreement with a country like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that is unwilling to join a fight of mutual interest? Americans are dying and the U.S. is spending billions to dislodge the terrorist Iranian regime that threatens the region. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia seems to be issuing statements and doing things in the background that are marginally helpful, but unwilling to participate in military operations to end the reign of terror coming out of Iran. Hopefully Gulf Cooperation Council countries will get more involved as this fight is in their backyard. If you are not willing to use your military now, when are you willing to use it? Hopefully this changes soon. If not, consequences will follow.“

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 – Georgia

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Texas

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Nebraska

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Florida

  • Center for Strategic Politics 3/10/26: FL-23 Democratic Primary Poll (Feb/Mar) – also see X-thread on the poll: “NEW POLL of Democratic primary voters in FL-23 | Oliver Larkin leads incumbent Jared Moskowitz 49-36 after positive bios | 63% of voters want to end or reduce military aid to Israel | Voters oppose strikes on Iran by a 50-point margin…On the issues, Moskowitz is severely out of step with FL-23 voters. *63%* of Democratic voters support reducing military aid to Israel, with 30% supporting a full cessation of aid. And while Jared Moskowitz has signaled support for the war on Iran, FL-23 Democrats oppose military strikes by a 50-point margin.“

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Kentucky

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – Pennsylvania

Israel/AIPAC in US elex & politics – New Jersey

Iran

Islamophobia