Congress is sending a bill, crafted by members of the Florida delegation, helping Jordan battle Islamic State (ISIS) terrorism to President Barack Obama’s desk.
While most of his focus is on the Republican presidential contest, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., scored a win last week as the U.S. Senate passed “U.S.-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015.”
Rubio’s bill, which was also sponsored by U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Mary., makes Jordan eligible under the Arms Export Control Act and increases military cooperation between the U.S. and that Middle Eastern nation. When the bill passed last week, the Florida Republican said his proposal would help Jordan deal with the Syrian refugee crisis and battle ISIS.
“This bill will strengthen our relationship with our friends in Jordan as they face immense challenges from ISIS and the chaos in Syria,” said Rubio. “Given the president’s failure to put together a serious strategy to destroy ISIS, our allies and partners need our assistance as they deal with millions of refugees from the conflict. I hope this bill moves quickly through the House and to the president’s desk so Jordan knows America stands with them during this difficult time.”
The version in the U.S. House was brought out by U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the U.S. House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee. Ros-Lehtinen reeled in the support of U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the ranking Democrat on her subcommittee, to pass the bill back in July. Other key backers were U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, the chairwoman of the U.S. House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, D-NY, the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee.
After some minor adjustments to get the bill lined up with the Senate version, the House cleared it again on Wednesday.
“I’d like to thank my congressional colleagues Ted, Kay, Nita, Marco and Ben for working together in a bipartisan and bicameral manner to strengthen our relationship with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,” Ros-Lehtinen said on Wednesday. “By passing this legislation and sending it to the president’s desk, Congress is sending an important message to our ally Jordan that we will continue to support the kingdom as it faces potential threats by ISIS and a serious strain on its resources and its economy as a result of the challenges stemming from an influx of Syrian refugees. Jordan has been on the front lines in the coalition fight against ISIS and in the response to the Syrian humanitarian crisis, but we must ensure that Jordan has the resources and support it needs to remain stable and secure.”
“Jordan has been a steadfast ally of the U.S. and a critical partner in the fight against ISIS,” Deutch noted. “The U.S. must continue to support those in the region who are committed to fighting terrorism and who seek to provide refuge for those fleeing violence. This bipartisan legislation will ensure that Jordan can continue to play an important role in the international coalition to counter ISIS and to defends its borders from external threats.”
Obama is expected to sign the bill into law.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
