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Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued the following statement after House Republicans announced they plan to file a discharge petition on H.R. 336 Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019, the House companion of Rubio’s S.1, the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019 that passed the Senate in an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 77 to 23 in February:
 
“For months, Speaker Pelosi has blocked this important, bipartisan bill to strengthen U.S. security in the Middle East and support our closest ally Israel from coming to the House floor,” Rubio said. “Instead, Speaker Pelosi has spent her time downplaying anti-Semitic rhetoric from some House Democrats and trying to convince Americans that her conference is pro-Israel. Condemning anti-Semitism is important, but words alone will never replace decisive action. If Speaker Pelosi is serious about supporting Israel and strengthening U.S. security in the Middle East, she should bring this important, bipartisan bill to the floor immediately.”
 
S. 1 incorporates four bipartisan bills that Congress nearly enacted into law in 2018:
 

• Rubio-Coons United States-Israel Security Authorization Assistance Act of 2018 (S. 2497EAH). Passed by Senate in voice vote on August 1, 2018. Amended and passed by House of Representatives in voice vote on September 12, 2018. Hotlined by Senate Foreign Relations Committee on October 2018.
• Ros-Lehtinen-Deutch United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Extension Act (H.R. 2646RS). Passed by House of Representatives in voice vote on February 5, 2018. Reported by Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 29, 2018. Hotlined by Senate Foreign Relations Committee on December 2018.
• Engel-Royce Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2018 (H.R. 1677RS). Passed by House of Representatives in voice vote on May 17, 2017. Reported by Senate Foreign Relations Committee on October 3, 2018. Hotlined by Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 2018. Passed by the House of Representatives in January 2019.
• Rubio-Manchin Combating BDS Act of 2018 (S. 170). Hotlined by Senate Banking Committee in November 2018.

 
Related:

• March 5, 2019: Rubio Challenges Pelosi to Take Real Action in Support of Israel
• February 5, 2019: Rubio, Risch, Gardner, McConnell Welcome Senate Passage of Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act
• February 5, 2019: Rubio: The Truth About B.D.S and the Lies About My Bill
• January 28, 2019: Senate Moves Forward On Rubio’s Strengthening America’s Security In The Middle East Act
• January 8, 2019: On Senate Floor, Rubio Urges Democratic Colleagues To Support Bill To Strengthen Security In Middle East
• January 3, 2019: Rubio, Risch, Gardner, McConnell Introduce Bill to Strengthen U.S. Security in Middle East, Bolster Israel Alliance & Sanction Syria’s Dictatorship