[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 682 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 682

    Condemning the decision by the Biden Administration to halt the 
 shipment of United States made ammunition and weapons to the State of 
                                Israel.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 9, 2024

Mr. Graham (for himself, Mr. Cotton, Ms. Collins, Mr. Cruz, Ms. Ernst, 
  Mr. Marshall, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Rubio, Mr. 
 Hagerty, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Grassley, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Hawley, 
  Mr. Daines, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Sullivan, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Budd, Mr. 
 Mullin, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Romney, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Wicker, 
Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Thune, Mr. Young, Mrs. Britt, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Rounds, 
  Mr. Risch, Mr. Braun, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. 
Tuberville, Mr. Lankford, Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Johnson, 
Mr. Schmitt, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. Lee, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Moran, Mr. Vance, 
   and Mr. McConnell) submitted the following resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Condemning the decision by the Biden Administration to halt the 
 shipment of United States made ammunition and weapons to the State of 
                                Israel.

Whereas the United States is the largest supplier of military aid to the State 
        of Israel, providing $158,000,000,000 in bilateral assistance and 
        missile defense funding since World War II, which has been used by the 
        State of Israel in part to protect itself from attacks by the Islamic 
        Republic of Iran and its proxies;
Whereas, in 2016, the United States and the State of Israel signed a third 10-
        year Memorandum of Understanding, under which the United States pledged 
        to provide $38,000,000,000 in military aid, subject to congressional 
        appropriation, to the State of Israel between fiscal years 2019 and 
        2028;
Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprovoked attack against the 
        State of Israel, brutally murdering more than 1,200 innocent men, women, 
        and children while injuring thousands more;
Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas took more than 240 innocent civilians 
        hostage, including babies, children, women, elderly, Holocaust 
        survivors, and United States citizens, and is still holding at least 128 
        of these innocent civilians against their will;
Whereas, on October 8, 2023, the State of Israel officially declared war on 
        Hamas and has since dismantled 20 of the 24 Hamas battalions in Gaza, in 
        part using ammunition and weapons supplied by the United States;
Whereas, on October 8, 2023, White House officials announced that they had 
        conveyed to the Government of Israel that additional assistance for the 
        Israeli Defense Forces was now on its way to the State of Israel with 
        more to follow over the coming days;
Whereas, on November 1, 2023, Ghazi Hamad, a member of the political bureau of 
        Hamas, stated, ``We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do it twice 
        and three times. The Al-Aqsa Deluge[, the name Hamas gave its October 
        7th attack,] is just the first time, and there will be a second, a 
        third, a fourth . . . We are the victims of the occupation. Period. 
        Therefore, nobody should blame us for the things we do. On October 7th, 
        October 10th, October one-millionth, everything we do is justified.'';
Whereas, on January 2, 2024, the intelligence community of the United States 
        declassified an assessment that stated, ``The U.S. Intelligence 
        Community is confident in its judgment on this topic and has 
        independently corroborated information on HAMAS and PIJ's use of the 
        [Al-Shifa] hospital complex for a variety of purposes related to its 
        campaign against Israel.'';
Whereas, on March 6, 2024, United States officials told Members of Congress that 
        the Biden Administration had approved and delivered more than 100 
        separate arms sales to the State of Israel since the October 7th attack, 
        including thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs, 
        bunker busters, small arms, and other lethal aid;
Whereas, on March 29, 2024, it was reported the Biden Administration approved 
        new arms packages worth billions of dollars for the State of Israel that 
        included more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound 
        bombs;
Whereas, on March 30, 2024, following the report of the approved new arms 
        packages, a White House official stated, ``We have continued to support 
        Israel's right to defend itself. . .Conditioning aid has not been our 
        policy.'';
Whereas, on April 2, 2024, it was reported the Biden Administration supported a 
        plan to provide $18,000,000,000 worth of F-15 fighter jets, munitions, 
        training, and other support to the State of Israel, with the Department 
        of State sending an informal notice to the respective congressional 
        committees to start a legislative review process for the order;
Whereas, on April 10, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden, while speaking publicly 
        at the White House, stated, ``As I told Prime Minister [Benjamin] 
        Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel's security against these threats 
        from Iran and its proxies is ironclad--let me say it again, ironclad.'';
Whereas, on April 13, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris stated, ``President 
        Biden and I met with our national security team following Iran's attacks 
        against Israel. Our support for Israel's security is ironclad, and we 
        stand with the people of Israel in defense against these attacks.'';
Whereas, on April 13, 2024, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated, 
        ``This morning, I spoke with my Israeli counterpart, National Security 
        Advisor Hanegbi, to discuss events in the Middle East. During the call, 
        I reiterated the United States ironclad commitment to the security of 
        Israel.'';
Whereas, on April 13, 2024, the Islamic Republic of Iran launched more than 300 
        missiles and drones towards the State of Israel and innocent civilians 
        in an unprecedented attack;
Whereas, on April 13, 2024, 99 percent of the projectiles launched by the 
        Islamic Republic of Iran were intercepted by the State of Israel and its 
        allies, using fighter jets, air defense systems, and other weapons that 
        were supplied to the State of Israel in part by the United States;
Whereas, on April 14, 2024, following the attack on the State of Israel by the 
        Islamic Republic of Iran, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, 
        ``The United States condemns Iran's attack on Israel. As the President 
        said, our commitment to Israel's security against threats from Iran is 
        ironclad.'';
Whereas, on April 14, 2024, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III underscored 
        the United States commitment to Israel saying, ``I spoke to Israeli 
        Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant for a second time today to reiterate 
        ironclad U.S. support for Israel's defense in light of Iran's 
        unprecedented attack from Iranian territory. We reviewed the 
        extraordinary defensive measures and strong cooperation undertaken to 
        defeat this Iranian attack against Israel.'';
Whereas, on May 5, 2024, it was reported the Biden Administration put a hold on 
        a shipment of United States made ammunition to the State of Israel the 
        previous week, the first time since the since the October 7th attack 
        that the United Stated stopped a weapons shipment intended for the 
        Israeli military;
Whereas, on May 5, 2024, Prime Minister of the State of Israel Benjamin 
        Netanyahu hinted at possible tensions regarding support being provided 
        by the Biden Administration, stating, ``In the terrible Holocaust, there 
        were great world leaders who stood by idly; therefore, the first lesson 
        of the Holocaust is: If we do not defend ourselves, nobody will defend 
        us. And if we need to stand alone, we will stand alone.'';
Whereas, on May 6, 2024, it was reported that since January 2024 the Biden 
        Administration has effectively paused the sale of up to 6,500 Joint 
        Direct Attack Munitions in a sale worth as much as $260,000,000 to the 
        State of Israel;
Whereas, on May 6, 2024, it was reported that since March 2024 the Biden 
        Administration has effectively paused the sale of up to $700,000,000 in 
        120 mm tank ammunition, $500,000,000 in tactical vehicles, and less than 
        $100,000,000 in 120 mm mortar rounds;
Whereas, on May 6, 2024, despite multiple reports of the Biden Administration 
        putting a hold on a shipment of United States made ammunition and 
        effectively pausing additional weapon sales to the State of Israel, the 
        Biden Administration stated, ``[O]ur security commitments to Israel are 
        ironclad'';
Whereas, on May 7, 2024, the Biden Administration confirmed the report from May 
        5, 2024, of the Biden Administration putting a hold United States made 
        ammunition to the State of Israel, stating, ``[W]e began to carefully 
        review proposed transfers of particular weapons to Israel that might be 
        used in Rafah. . .[and] paused one shipment of weapons last week. It 
        consists of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs.''; and
Whereas, the decision by the Biden Administration to withhold the provision of 
        critical United States made ammunition and weapons to the State of 
        Israel will only embolden and encourage the Islamic Republic of Iran and 
        its proxies, including Hamas, to conduct more attacks against the State 
        of Israel, which in turn will complicate efforts to reach any hostage 
        deal with Hamas or a broader normalization deal between the State of 
        Israel and other countries in the region: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns any decision by the Biden Administration to 
        halt the shipment of United States made ammunition and weapons 
        to the State of Israel;
            (2) demands that the Biden Administration continue to 
        fulfill the military aid requests from the State of Israel in 
        order to provide the weapons needed to defeat Hamas and defend 
        against attacks from the Islamic Republic of Iran and its 
        proxies;
            (3) reaffirms the importance of the long history of the 
        United States providing military aid to the State of Israel and 
        willingness to expedite delivery of such aid in times of 
        crisis; and
            (4) upholds the commitment of the United States to the 
        State of Israel's security and long-term prosperity.
                                 <all>