Ted Deutch: “It is my great honor to rise in support of the Ileana Ros-Lehtinen U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of…”

“It is my great honor to rise in support of the Ileana Ros-Lehtinen U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2018. {time} 1730 I am proud to have worked on this critical security bill with my colleague and friend, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. The U.S.-Israel relationship has been and must continue to be a bipartisan priority regardless of the party in power at either end of Pennsylvania Avenue. With today's vote, we have the chance to reinforce that point. The threats against Israel remain numerous and complex. Iran is seeking to secure a permanent foothold in neighboring Syria. Hezbollah continues to stockpile an estimated 150,000 missiles near Israel's border, and a humanitarian crisis looms in Gaza, threatening stability in Israel. Israel must be prepared to defend itself from threats coming from every direction, from everything from the most rudimentary of weapons-- as we have seen with the ``arson kites'' from Hamas, the ``terror kites''--to advanced Iranian-made missiles. The 2016 memorandum of understanding between our countries committed unprecedented levels of security. That assistance is $38 billion over 10 years, and this bill will enshrine that figure into law. Notably, nearly all of this American taxpayer money will come back to the United States and support American jobs. This bill will codify this memorandum and ensure that Israel has the capability to defend itself from any and all threats.…”