Washington, DC – House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul spoke on the House floor in support of a motion to recommit to H.R. 256. This amendment would require the President to create and maintain contingency plans to provide Israel with defense articles and provide authority to expedite defense transfers to Israel if it faces threat of military attack.

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-Remarks as Delivered-

“If we adopt the motion to recommit, we will instruct the Committee on Foreign Affairs to consider my amendment to H.R. 256.

“It responds to the serious escalation by Hamas against Israel that we saw in May.

“Mr.  Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include the text of the amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

“Hamas launched over 4,000 rockets at our closest ally in the Middle East. This was a stark reminder of the dangerous threats that Israel faces from Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and other terrorist organizations. 

“For this reason, our MTR makes sure that the United States can quickly react to Israel’s security needs in the event of future attacks.   

“If enacted, this language would establish contingency plans to provide Israel with defense articles such as munitions, ISR technology, aircraft, and related services. It would also create a waiver to expedite arms transfers if Israel is under threat of military attack. 

“This language passed the House last Congress with broad bipartisan support, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support it today. 

“I fear that the 2002 AUMF repeal we are considering today, without a replacement, may embolden our adversaries, especially Iran, the largest state sponsor of terror in the world, and its proxies, by signaling that we are retreating from the Middle East.  

“Our MTR is intended to send a strong message that this is absolutely false and it will also send a message that passage will demonstrate our ironclad support for Israel and all our allies in the region.”

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