U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., got his proposal offering U.S. support for defending Israel from drone attacks across the finish line in the U.S. House.
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.
Crist announced back in March that his proposal was included as part of the “United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act” which is being sponsored by the two South Florida representatives in charge of the U.S. House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee—chairwoman U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., and ranking Democrat U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla. According to Ros-Lehtinen’s office, the bill “affirms the bipartisan support for the unshakeable U.S. - Israel relationship and for Israel’s right to defend herself” by following the funding levels established in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two nations back in 2016. The proposal continues those levels for an additional five years, extending it to FY 2019-23. The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee backed the proposal last week. Ros-Lehtinen’s and Deutch’s bill is being sponsored in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who defeated Crist for that seat back in 2010.
The bill was rolled into National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which passed the U.S. House last week.
"The NDAA is critical legislation, keeping our national defense strong and our country secure. The inclusion of our bipartisan proposal speaks to the importance of prioritizing the partnership between the U.S. and Israel in the face of the growing threat drone attacks pose to the security of both nations," Crist said on Thursday. "Working together – both in Congress and with our allies abroad – is key to bolstering drone security."
"The importance of our relationship with Israel cannot be overstated. Our nations rely on one another in many ways and ensuring both of our countries have the ability to fend off evolving threats is critical to national security efforts," said Johnson. "I am honored to have our bill included in the NDAA and to see it signed into law by President Trump. This is an important step not only for our strongest ally in the Middle East but for the United States as well."
