[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 175 (Wednesday, December 11, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H7650-H7653]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       ISRAEL QME ENHANCEMENT ACT

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1992) to amend the requirements relating to assessment of 
Israel's qualitative military edge over military threats, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1992

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Israel QME Enhancement 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO ASSESSMENT OF 
                   ISRAEL'S QUALITATIVE MILITARY EDGE OVER 
                   MILITARY THREATS.

       (a) Assessment Required; Reports.--Section 201 of Public 
     Law 110-429 (122 Stat. 4843; 22 U.S.C. 2776 note) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``an ongoing basis'' and 
     inserting ``a biennial basis''; and
       (2) in subsection (c)(2)--
       (A) in the heading, by striking ``Quadrennial'' and 
     inserting ``Biennial''; and
       (B) in the text, by striking ``Not later than four years 
     after the date on which the President transmits the initial 
     report under paragraph (1), and every four years 
     thereafter,'' and inserting ``Not later than one year after 
     the date of the enactment of the Israel QME Enhancement Act, 
     and biennially thereafter,''.
       (b) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
     submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
     on--
       (A) the range of cyber and asymmetric threats posed to 
     Israel by state and non-state actors; and
       (B) the joint efforts of the United States and Israel to 
     address the threats identified in subparagraph (A).
       (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified 
     annex.
       (3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this 
     subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
     Senate.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add 
any extraneous material to the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Let me begin by thanking both the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Collins) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider) for their 
leadership and for their foresight in authoring this very important 
measure.
  In shepherding this legislation through the committee, I was again 
reminded of the shared commitment of Members of both parties to come 
together to promote Israel's security. It is an example of 
bipartisanship at its best.
  The United States' commitment to Israel rests on the assurance that 
the U.S., through a combination of Foreign Military Financing, the 
joint cooperative development of weapons systems and other measures, 
will ensure that Israel upholds its qualitative military edge. The 
standard definition of that is ensuring Israel's ability to counter and 
defeat credible military threats from any individual state or coalition 
of states or nonstate actors, and with the growing threat to Israel 
throughout the region--from the prospect of a nuclear Iran to an 
ascendant Hezbollah and widespread regional instability--Israel's 
retention of its QME is critical to its existence.
  I had a chance to see this firsthand in 2006 during the second 
Lebanon war, which I, frankly, think should be called the ``Hezbollah 
war.'' Hezbollah was raining down rockets manufactured originally in 
Iran and Syria on a daily basis on Haifa. When I was in Haifa, I 
watched those rockets come in, and

[[Page H7651]]

they were being aimed at civilian neighborhoods. They were also being 
aimed at the hospital there. On one trip, I went down to the hospital 
to see the results.
  Haifa is a very cosmopolitan city as one-third of Haifa is Israeli 
Jews, another third is Arab Israelis, another third is Druze and other 
minorities. The people in that city faced a constant bombardment for 30 
days. While we were there, we had an opportunity to talk to some of the 
families, to some of the survivors--600 civilian victims from that 
attack in that trauma hospital. They told us how those missiles 
manufactured in Iran--this was before the invention of the Iron Dome, 
so there was no defense to this--would come into the civilian 
neighborhoods--90,000 ball bearings--and they would just go through the 
walls, through cars, through a shop. This is what led, basically, to a 
siege-like setting in which families were underground; but as they 
would try to come up at some point, they would be spotted from the 
other side, from the border, and once again, Hezbollah would try to hit 
that family, to hit that township.
  This is what Haifa was going through. It is a reminder of the threat 
that Israel needs the best technology to combat these and other 
terrorist attacks. It is a relief that now Israel does have the Iron 
Dome, that there is warning, that there is the ability of some type of 
response other than the type of counterbattery work that we saw as they 
were trying to silence those rockets, which were never silenced, which 
came in for 30 days.
  In 2008, Congress required the President to assess on an ongoing 
basis the extent to which Israel possesses a qualitative military edge 
over the threats that are arrayed against it. Those threats are all too 
real. Currently, the assessment is done every 4 years. Currently, it 
focuses only on the conventional military threats to Israel. This bill 
would require that Congress receive that assessment on a timely basis, 
at least every 2 years. It would also require the administration to 
specify a separate onetime report integrating cyber and asymmetric 
threats to Israel into this overall security assistance framework. This 
is very important given the new types of terror--suicide bombings and 
the rest of it and cyber warfare--that are being developed on either 
side of the border from Hamas to Hezbollah.
  These provisions will provide Congress critical information that it 
requires in a timely manner to assess Israel's security requirements as 
Israel tries to deal with everything from the threat in Iran to all of 
the other terrorist organizations that are proxies for Iran. It also 
sends the right message at the right time to our mutual friends and 
foes alike that the United States and Israel stand together.
  So I strongly support the immediate passage. I thank, again, Mr. 
Schneider and Mr. Collins for their good work.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in strong support of H.R. 1992, the Israel Qualitative 
Military Edge Enhancement Act.
  I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for working so 
diligently with my office, and I want to thank Congressman Doug Collins 
for bringing this important legislation before the House floor. I want 
to personally thank my friend and colleague Mr. Collins for all of the 
work he has done and that we have done together to make sure this bill 
becomes a reality.
  Israel stands at an historic juncture. In a very dangerous 
neighborhood, Israel must have the capabilities to deal with a broad 
spectrum of potential conventional and asymmetric threats. With the 
United States negotiating with Iran over its nuclear weapons program, 
it is vitally important that we continue to give Israel all of the 
tools necessary to address a growing list of threats. That is why 
Representative Collins and I have introduced this important and timely 
bill--to help further safeguard the technological edge Israel has in 
defending herself and in safeguarding human life for all of her 
citizens.
  This bill expands upon existing requirements that the United States 
aid Israel in developing defense-capable systems for safeguarding the 
Israeli homeland against conventional and asymmetrical threats. 
Previously, this cooperation has resulted in the highly successful Iron 
Dome system along with the continued development of the Arrow and the 
David's Sling series of military hardware.
  Despite this capability, Israel now faces the threat of regional 
insecurity with a virtual failed state on its border with Syria, 
hundreds of thousands of rockets and mortars being stockpiled by 
Hezbollah in Lebanon, ongoing rocket fire from Hamas on the Gaza Strip, 
increasing terrorist activity in the Sinai, and, most importantly, the 
continued existential threat of Iran and its accelerating nuclear 
program. The U.S. can and must do more to aid Israel in addressing all 
of these threats in a comprehensive way.
  The bill before us would specifically encourage greater cooperation 
between Israel and the United States in developing new weapons, tactics 
and procedures that will safeguard them from the growing threats Of 
cyber warfare and asymmetrical military threats such as terrorist 
activity. Increased reporting and coordination will allow the United 
States and Israel to continue their mutually beneficial research and 
intelligence programs to create a more secure and prosperous region--
one that can safeguard human life to the maximum extent possible. By 
increasing the frequency of assessment from 4 years to 2, the Israel 
Qualitative Military Edge Enhancement Act will help ensure Israel is 
always prepared to confront constantly evolving conventional and 
asymmetrical threats.
  I again want to thank the chairman and ranking member for their 
support of this legislation. I also want to thank the other cosponsors 
of this bill, including Representative Collins, for their hard work to 
hone this bill over the last few months. I would especially like to 
thank Vernon Robinson, Jr., who worked so diligently with my staff to 
shepherd this bill to the House floor today.
  I strongly ask my colleagues to join me in support of this important 
bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1330

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Collins), a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
the author of this bill, and we want to thank him for being such an 
active member of our committee.
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do appreciate 
that. I do appreciate what your staff and others have done, the ranking 
member, in moving this legislation through. And also my good friend 
from Illinois (Mr. Schneider) in where we have been able to work 
together. I would be remiss also if I did not recognize Vernon Robinson 
from my staff as well, who is with me today, who has kept this going 
while we have worked. So I appreciate his work and the rest of our 
staff in doing so.
  I introduced H.R. 1992, the Israel QME Enhancement Act, to ensure our 
commitment to Israel's qualitative military edge remains substantial 
and meaningful.
  This legislation allows Congress to conduct oversight of weapon sales 
in the Middle East with increased frequency. Due to the instability in 
the region, it is vitally important that the qualitative military edge 
review process be updated to reflect the needs of Israel. H.R. 1992 
accomplishes this goal by directing the President to report to Congress 
every 2 years regarding the assessment of Israel's qualitative military 
edge over military threats to Israel and related weapon sales in the 
Middle East.
  This is a marked improvement over our current law, which only 
requires such a report to be issued every 4 years.
  H.R. 1992 also requires the President to issue a report to Congress 
on the criteria issued to include cyber and asymmetric threats in the 
QME report.
  Large conventional armies are less likely to mobilize against Israel, 
but terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas are a constant 
threat. I am very concerned by the cyber attacks that have been 
launched against Israel, as well as the continued onslaught of 
terrorist attacks that threaten the security and stability of this 
peace-loving nation.
  The QME doctrine originated during the Johnson administration, but 
came

[[Page H7652]]

into practice during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 when the United States 
conducted one of the largest military airlifts in history to resupply 
Israel with military hardware. Since Israel's victory in the conflict, 
the United States has sworn to ensure Israel's qualitative military 
edge remains strong, as surrounding Middle Eastern countries often 
possess a quantitative advantage.
  The benefits of the Israeli-American relationship are undeniable. Our 
alliance has been vital for each nation's intelligence efforts. Both 
nations have provided valuable information that has saved the lives of 
civilians, as well as military personnel.
  I have recognized the value of America's partnership for many years, 
and I am humbled and grateful to now be in a position where I can 
support this alliance on the floor of the House.
  America's support for Israel should be strong and responsive to the 
changing threats facing our ally. Their military threat is a vital 
component to promoting stability and peace in the Middle East. I am 
pleased by the steadfast commitment this body and our leadership have 
shown in maintaining a vibrant partnership with Israel.
  As the vice chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle 
East and North Africa, I am committed to promoting policy decisions 
that ensure Israel will be equipped to maintain the only stable 
democracy in the Middle East.
  In recent weeks, there have been rounds of negotiations concerning 
Iran's nuclear capabilities. As a result of these negotiations, an 
agreement was reached with Iran, the details of which put Israel in a 
very difficult position.
  Many questions remain about Iran's continued ability to enrich 
uranium and the billions of dollars they will gain in sanctions relief, 
questions such as: Where will these be used and how will the money be 
used for other attacks such as Hezbollah or others in this area?
  One thing I am certain of, however, is the savings will not be spent 
on any effort advantageous to U.S. or Israel. Now more than ever, 
Congress must demonstrate its unwavering commitment to strengthening 
the U.S.-Israel relations during such an unpredictable time in the 
Middle East. This is something that is needed. It is something for our 
friend Israel. It protects our interests and protects Israel's 
interests.
  With that, I would urge support of H.R. 1992.
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), chairman of the Foreign Affairs 
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman again for the 
time.
  I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1992, the Israel Qualitative 
Military Edge Enhancement Act, authored by my colleague and the vice 
chair of our Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, Mr. 
Collins.
  There is no better time than now, Mr. Speaker, to pass this bill and 
send our closest friend and ally, the democratic Jewish State of 
Israel, and the rest of the world a strong message that the United 
States Congress stands resolutely with Israel and her right to defend 
herself.
  The U.S. and other world leaders lamentably acquiesced and relented 
on the Iran nuclear deal and offered concessions to the regime in 
Tehran that do nothing to dismantle its nuclear program. Even as the 
negotiations carried on, Iran was busy making advancements to its 
nuclear weapons program. Shortly after the deal, Iran announced that it 
had made significant progress on its ballistic missile program. And 
just this last weekend, Mr. Speaker, the regime announced that it was 
moving ahead with testing on more efficient and sophisticated 
centrifuges.
  There can be no mistaking these actions. They all add up to Iran 
continuing down its path of achieving a full nuclear weapons program. 
Mr. Speaker, we have heard this rhetoric that has been coming out of 
Iran for years now. The regime does not recognize Israel's right to 
exist. It denies the Holocaust. It repeats its calls to wipe Israel off 
the map, and ``death to Israel'' is chanted throughout the country.
  Iran is an existential threat to Israel's very existence; and now 
more than ever, we need to ensure that Israel remains not just one step 
ahead of those who seek to do her harm, but light years ahead.
  In conclusion, there is no room for error as Iran inches closer and 
closer to having nuclear breakout capability. I urge all of my 
colleagues to support this bipartisan measure, expressing our strong 
support for Israel to have a qualitative military edge.
  I thank my chairman, as well as Mr. Collins, the author of the bill.
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Roskam), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

  Mr. ROSKAM. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate my colleagues from Georgia and 
Illinois for their work on this matter. It is incredibly important; 
and, as Ms. Ros-Lehtinen mentioned a minute ago, the challenges that 
Israel are facing are incredibly significant.
  The challenges are moving very, very quickly, Mr. Speaker. There is a 
storm cloud that is brewing; and rather than waiting to recalibrate, 
this bill says let's evaluate how Israel is doing in terms of a 
qualitative military advantage and edge more frequently.
  As we know, if Israel is strong in the Middle East, good things 
happen. If Israel is weak in the Middle East, good things don't happen.
  We have an opportunity now for the House to stand with Israel. As 
mentioned before by Mr. Collins a minute ago, it is not just for 
Israel's sake; but it is clearly in the best interest of the United 
States.
  There is one democratic ally in the Middle East, and that is the 
State of Israel. It is incumbent upon us as a co-equal branch of 
government to encourage the administration to do the right thing, not 
just from Israel's point of view but from the long-term strategic 
interest of the United States.
  I am a cosponsor of this legislation. I am pleased that it is being 
brought under the leadership of Chairman Royce and his committee to the 
House floor. I urge its passage.
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas, Judge Poe, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on 
Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, all around Israel things are in tremendous turmoil.
  To Israel's south, Egypt is experiencing its worst period of unrest 
in 50 years. There is no elected government, and there won't be until 
next year. The economy is on a ventilator in Egypt. It is propped up 
only by billions of dollars of aid from Gulf countries.
  The Muslim Brotherhood is openly fighting the interim government with 
armed mobs. Terrorists and vagabonds in the always lawless Sinai 
Peninsula are only encouraged by the weakened state of Cairo.
  To Israel's north, Syria has become the world's hotspot for 
terrorists. Terrorists like al Qaeda and Hezbollah are streaming in, 
with no end in sight. Out-of-town criminals have come into the country 
to wreak havoc.
  To Israel's east, already fragile Jordan is being overrun with Syrian 
refugees and infiltrated by terrorists as well.
  A little further east, al Qaeda is wreaking havoc in Iraq. There is 
more violence there than at any point since 2008.
  And to the far east, mischief regime of the desert, Iran is closer 
than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon that can enable it to fulfill 
its threat to wipe Israel off the map.
  When I met with Prime Minister Netanyahu 2 weeks ago, he was clear 
that Israel cannot accept Iran as a nuclear threshold power if Israel 
wants to continue to exist as a people. He called our interim deal with 
Iran the worst deal of the century. I agree with him. It seems that we 
not only gave away the farm; we gave away the mineral rights as well. 
We took our best diplomatic tool, sanctions, off the table. The biggest 
problem with the deal was that it made a peaceful solution more 
unlikely.

[[Page H7653]]

  With all of these threats surrounding it, we need to stand side by 
side and let the world know--our enemies and our friends--that we are 
allies of Israel. They are the U.S.'s strongest ally.
  Israel is the only democracy in the region and the only one that 
respects human rights. It is in their national security interest and 
our national security interest to ensure Israel can defend itself from 
the ever-changing military threats. The enemies they have in the 
neighborhood are enemies to us as well.
  I support H.R. 1992. The bill will make sure, too, that Israel's 
enemies do not gain a military advantage over the State of Israel. I 
urge its passage.
  And that's just the way it is.
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States has no more important relationship, 
not just in the region but in the world, than the strategic, 
unbreakable alliance with the democratic Jewish State of Israel.
  Israel's security is our security. Israel's security must not in any 
way be compromised.
  As has been noted here already, Israel lives in a most dangerous 
neighborhood. Her security is dependent on a clearly demonstrated 
permanently sustained qualitative military edge. This bill, H.R. 1992, 
improves and enhances our relationship with Israel to guarantee her 
qualitative military edge in a very dangerous neighborhood.
  I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1992 and to 
protect Israel's security.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In closing, let me again stress the importance of the relationship 
with our ally Israel.
  Let me thank Mr. Collins for his leadership in authoring this 
important measure and thank Mr. Schneider. I am a cosponsor of this 
bill as well, and let me say we have many common threats, especially 
Iran's nuclear program.
  This measure, H.R. 1992, is a testament to the American people's 
enduring commitment to the security of Israel. I hope to see it passed 
today.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
1992--the Israel QME Enhancement Act. I would like to commend the 
author of this legislation and colleague from Georgia, Mr. Collins, for 
his leadership on this issue. I would also like to thank the Foreign 
Affairs Committee Chairman Royce of California and Ranking Member Engel 
of New York on quickly moving this bill through the Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that our strongest ally in the 
Middle East is the State of Israel. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us 
to provide them with our unwavering support. In order to uphold this 
commitment, we must understand the ongoing security threats to Israel. 
H.R. 1992 helps achieve this goal by increasing the frequency by which 
the Secretary of State must report to Congress on Israel's qualitative 
military edge (QME).
  Unfortunately, Israel is constantly on alert from various threats to 
its existence, particularly cyber and asymmetric ones. In fact, 
regional, Iran has stated that its desire to ``wipe Israel off of the 
map.'' Therefore, despite the interim agreement between the P5+1 that 
was adopted on November 24, 2013, I still believe that it is critically 
important that we prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons 
capability.
  Congress took an important step during 2012 by implementing economic 
sanctions on Iran through the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human 
Rights Act of 2012. This important legislation punishes individuals who 
knowingly sell more than 1,000,000 barrels of refined product, or 
individuals that sell, lease, or provide Iran with goods, services, 
technology, or information.
  However, despite these sanctions, Iran's nuclear program has 
continued to grow. Earlier this year in June, the International Atomic 
Energy Agency stated that Tehran was violating international 
regulations by increasing the number of centrifuges. Although the 
November 24th interim agreement caps Iran's proliferation at 5%, I 
remain skeptical of Iran's motive for continued nuclear activity.
  Mr. Speaker, that is why the bill we have before today is absolutely 
essential in assisting Israel. By increasing the QME reports delivered 
to Congress, we can oversee the potential emerging threats that Israel 
will face in the future. I urge all of my colleague to join me in 
supporting H.R. 1992.
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, given the geopolitical history of the region, 
the U.S. fully understands Israel's need to be better armed than its 
neighbors.
  Potentially threatening Arab countries surrounding Israel have 
superior numbers, which is the reason why Israel needs to maintain a 
qualitative edge.
  As Iran creeps ever closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon, this 
qualitative edge has become all the more important
  As our closest ally in the region, we should do all we can to prevent 
Israel from being put in harm's way.
  I believe the legislation before us today does precisely that and I 
thank the gentleman from Georgia and my colleague on the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee, Mr. Collins, for authoring this bill.
  This legislation improves our policy of ensuring Israel's safety by 
better reflecting the security environment of its potential 
adversaries.
  Israel is mostly attacked by unconventional weapons and those weapons 
should be considered into the QME.
  As cyber-attacks are increasingly being used as a means of warfare, 
Israel needs to maintain a competitive edge, while countries such as 
Iran attempt to increase their cyber capabilities.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fortenberry). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1992, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________