Senate Yesterday: McConnell Amendent cloture, floor speeches about Israel.

S 1 is called Strengthen America's Security in the Middle East Act.

Text of S 1:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1

 

Thursday Jan 31, Senate:

https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=1&vote=00013

Cloture on the McConnell Amendment

[This was spun by the emotional media as a stinging rebuke to Trump's Syria and Afghanistan withdrawal plans.]

 

Text of the McConnel Amendment (S 65):

To express the sense of the Senate that the United States faces continuing threats from terrorist groups operating in Syria and Afghanistan and that the precipitous withdrawal of United States forces from either country could put at risk hard-won gains and United States national security.

 

Wednesday, Jan 30, Senate:

https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2019/01/30/senate-section/article/S756-4

Part of SB1 allows US states to divest assets in entities boycotting Israel.

[This has been spun as an intolerable infringement on free speech et cetera.]

 

Parts of some speeches on S 1:

 

Senator Cornyn:

"…Israel is also enduring a different type of warfare, this time an

economic war known as Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions or the BDS

movement. This campaign began in 2005 with more than 170 Palestinian

nongovernmental organizations lobbying foreign governments,

corporations, and academic institutions to sever all their ties with

Israel. In the years since, this movement has expanded with

participants seeking to isolate Israel both economically and

politically…"

"…What this legislation does do, however, is clarify that State and

local governments have every right to counter boycotts of Israel

without fear that they are somehow violating Federal law…"

 

Senator Blunt:

"This anti-Israel activity is shameful. Those who promote it should be

penalized. If they want to find out what it is like to not be able to

trade, we should show them what it is like not to be able to trade.

There are 26 States that have already passed legislation that allows

them to deal in different ways with people who have either disinvested

in or boycotted Israel. This bill provides some further definition of

how they can move forward. Boycotting Israel is unacceptable. That is

an important part of this package."

 

Also said by several Senators in speeches, some close variant of:

I think virtually everybody in the Senate–there may be an

exception or two–understands that Israel is our greatest ally in the

Middle East, … " - Sen Blunt

 

"It goes without saying, but perhaps we should reiterate that Israel

is an important and valuable friend and ally to the United States." - Sen Cornyn

 

"Israel…certainly our greatest friend in the region, maybe our best friend in the world. Sometimes I think Israel is our only friend in the world." - Sen Kennedy

 

[Why is Israel said to be such a friend and ally? Is this politician speak for so long, suckers? Do they really believe this? Srsly, what has Israel done to be called our greatest friend and ally?]

 

Some other proposed amendments to S 1:

Note they probably don't have support to pass.

 

From Senator Blumenthal (S 81):

The United States must recommit to resettling a robust number of refugees to meet its share of the global need to alleviate instability in countries like Jordan […]