[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 10, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H903]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          DIPLOMATIC PROTOCOLS

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the planned upcoming speech before Congress 
by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been mishandled from 
the start. It is being brought forward in a manner that is in total 
contravention of important diplomatic protocols that exist to support 
America's strategic interests and, frankly, Israel's.
  Mr. Speaker, this speech was agreed to unilaterally by the Republican 
Speaker of this House. He provided no courtesy nor prior notification 
to the executive branch, as is the standard course of protocol with 
foreign leaders.
  This is a fundamental violation of our national unity on foreign 
policy. Our Constitution assigns the office of the President the right 
and responsibility to negotiate with foreign governments.
  To circumvent this imperative and to invite a sitting head of state 
with no notification to the executive branch does harm to our national 
interests and our standing throughout the world.
  At this time, while our executive branch is pursuing sensitive and 
promising nuclear negotiations with Iran, why would our Speaker behave 
so cavalierly? Shouldn't our Nation's executive and legislative 
branches be unified in matters of foreign policy with such grave 
ramifications beyond our shores?
  As this pending visit comes 2 weeks before the Israeli elections, it 
appears that our Congress will be used as a campaign backstop and 
backdrop for Israeli election politics. How unfortunate and how 
wantonly crass and insulting to this Congress and the Constitution we 
are all sworn to uphold.

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