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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) welcomed President Obama’s signing of the “U.S.-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015,” a bill Rubio sponsored which ‎will support the Kingdom of Jordan in its response to the Syrian refugee crisis, enable U.S.-Jordanian cooperation to combat the terrorist threat from ISIS and other terrorist organizations and help Jordan secure its borders with Syria and Iraq.
 
“This new law will strengthen our relationship with the Kingdom of Jordan as they face immense challenges from ISIS and the chaos in Syria,” said Rubio. “Despite President Obama’s failure to have a serious strategy to destroy ISIS, the signing of this bill into law is a step in the right direction by supporting our ally, Jordan, during this critical time. Our allies and partners in the region have been in need of our assistance as they deal with continuous threats from terrorist organizations and the millions of refugees resulting from this conflict. I’m proud that this law will finally give them the support they need to continue the fight against ISIS.”‎
 
A PDF of the legislation is available here. The U.S.-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015 will: 

• Express the sense of Congress that expeditious consideration of certifications of letters of offer to sell defense articles, defense services, design and construction services, and major defense equipment to Jordan is fully consistent with U.S. security and foreign policy interests and the objectives of peace and security;  

• Include Jordan for three years among the countries eligible for certain streamlined defense sales, licensing agreements, and technical assistance under the Arms Export Control Act; and 

• Authorize the Department of State to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Jordan to increase military cooperation, including joint military exercises, personnel exchanges, and support for international peacekeeping missions, and enhanced strategic dialogue.