Freshman U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., got his proposal offering U.S. support for defending Israel over the finish line in the House as it was included in a bill from two members of the South Florida delegation.
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the chairwoman and the ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, were able to have the House pass the “United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act” on Wednesday by voice vote. The bill was named after Ros-Lehtinen, the first woman to ever lead the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee and who is retiring from Congress after almost three decades.
Back in February, Crist and U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., teamed up to bring out the “United States-Israel Joint Drone Detection Cooperation Act.” The bill authorizes the White House “to enter into a cooperative project agreement with Israel to counter unmanned aerial vehicles that threaten the United States or Israel.” Crist’s office noted drones launched by the Iranian regime could be a threat to Israel. The bill was rolled into the United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act and the “John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act” which was passed back in August.
Crist and Johnson weighed in on Thursday after getting their bill passed once again.
"The need to bolster strategic partnerships with our ally Israel in the face of emerging drone threats could not be more timely," said Crist. "The overwhelming support for our bipartisan proposal – in not one but two major U.S. policy packages – sends a strong message to our adversaries."
"For the second time now, Congress has reaffirmed the importance of our partnership with Israel and reinforced our efforts to combat evolving threats. With our proposal, Israel stands ready to take on adversaries with the full support of the United States. I look forward to many more years of partnership and collaboration to ensure the safety and security of both of our nations," said Johnson.
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