The two congressional representatives from Florida who lead the House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee scored a win this week as the U.S. House passed a resolution backing a longterm Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on military assistance between the U.S. and Israeli governments.
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., who chairs the subcommittee, was joined by her colleague U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, in launching the resolution back in May. Twenty other members of the Florida delegation also co-sponsored the proposal.
The House passed the resolution 405-4 on Tuesday afternoon. Four Republicans-- Justin Amash of Michigan, Jimmy Duncan of Tennessee, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Thomas Massie of Kentucky--voted against the resolution.
After the vote on Tuesday, Ros-Lehtinen made her case for the resolution.
“Congress has once again demonstrated its leadership and commitment to ensuring that our friend and ally, the democratic Jewish state of Israel has the ability to defend itself and its people,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “Israel’s safety and security is a top foreign and national security priority for the U.S. Now that the MoU has been finalized, it is important for Congress to conduct its oversight authority and examine the MoU closely in order to ensure that this agreement is mutually beneficial and meets the needs of both the U.S. and Israel. With the administration and the other P5+1 nations having offered concession after concession and tens of billions of dollars to Iran since the nuclear deal, it’s time to focus on helping a trusted friend and major strategic partner rather than an avowed enemy.”
“Israel’s security threats are only growing more complex, and there is no greater time for the United States to reaffirm our commitment to Israel’s security," said Deutch. "Just hours before the House overwhelmingly approved this bill, we welcomed the announcement that the U.S. and Israel agreed to terms of a renewed, robust Memorandum of Understanding. This agreement will serve as the backbone of our security relationship for the next ten years.”
A similar resolution was been brought out in the upper chamber by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who sits on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.
With President Barack Obama signing the 10 year agreement on Wednesday, Deutch continued to praise it.
"I welcome today’s signing of the new Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Israel," Deutch said. "This ten-year, $38 billion agreement represents a long-term investment in the US-Israel relationship that will significantly deepen the cooperation and friendship between our two countries.
"This MOU will ensure Israel has the resources to defend herself against any and all threats by providing increased foreign military financing that will allow Israel to upgrade her strategic capabilities and preserve and enhance her qualitative military edge in the region,” Deutch continued. “The $5 billion in missile defense funding will allow Israel to fully implement the multi-tier missile defense systems of Arrow 3 and David’s Sling. A strong and secure Israel is critical to protecting U.S. interests in a volatile region. As National Security Advisor Susan Rice said prior to today's signing, 'Our security is linked; when Israel is more secure, America is more secure.'
"Today's signing sends a clear and unmistakable message to the world that the United States and Israel stand unwaveringly together,” Deutch concluded. “I applaud the Obama Administration and the Netanyahu Government for reaching this landmark deal, and I look forward to working with my congressional colleagues to continue to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship."
