The two South Florida congressional representatives who lead the U.S. House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee continued their effort to help Jordan battle terrorism this week.
On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the subcommittee, teamed up with U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, to bring out the “United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Extension Act.”
The South Florida representatives have a number of key allies in pushing this proposal which extends the United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Extension Act which Ros-Lehtinen and Deutch brought out in 2015. Besides Ros-Lehtinen and Deutch, other sponsors include U.S. Rep Hal Rogers, R-Ky., the House State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Subcommittee chairman; and U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, D-NY, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.
The 2015 bill, which was sponsored by U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Ben Cardin, D-Mary., in the upper chamber, made Jordan eligible under the Arms Export Control Act and increased military cooperation between the U.S. and that Middle Eastern nation. When the bill passed in February 2016, Rubio and other advocates said it would help Jordan deal with the Syrian refugee crisis and battle Islamic State (ISIS) terrorism.
On Thursday, Ros-Lehtinen made her case for extending military cooperation with Jordan.
“The Kingdom of Jordan has been a key partner and friend in a volatile region and the king has demonstrated strong leadership in the fight against ISIS and in the humanitarian response as a result of the Syrian conflict,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “But years of being on the front lines has taken a toll on Jordan’s resources and it is in our interests, both as a friend and for our national security, that we reaffirm our long-term commitment to the Kingdom’s security and stability. This bill will ensure that Jordan gets the military and economic assistance it needs to continue its efforts in support of refugees and our fight against ISIS, while also authorizing the establishment of an Enterprise Fund that will aim to spur private investment in Jordan’s economy and help create jobs for entrepreneurs and small business owners.”
