Ted Deutch: “The legislation before us today is the product of a real bipartisan commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship. I would…”

“The legislation before us today is the product of a real bipartisan commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship. I would like to thank Chairman Ed Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel for making this bill a priority of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and ensuring its consideration on the floor here today. I would especially like to thank and recognize my colleague, my friend, my fellow Floridian, chairman emeritus of the full committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for her leadership on this legislation, but not just for that, for her ongoing commitment to the strength of the U.S.- Israel relationship and for standing up, as she always does, in support of people in need in every part of the world. We are so grateful for your work. The U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act aims to strengthen the ties that bind our two nations and enhance cooperation in multiple ways. The legislation reflects the simple truth--a very simple truth that the U.S. relationship with Israel is bound not only by mutual interests, but it is bound by deeply shared values. Indeed, the provisions of this bill, H.R. 938, mirror the broad cooperation between the United States and Israel when it comes not only to security, but to trade, research, energy, and so much more. This bill is, of course, crafted with the heightened security risks that Israel faces every day--with those heightened security risks in mind.…”