[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 10, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H656]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       COMBATING BDS ACT OF 2016

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Dold) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, in recent years, the boycott, divestment, and 
sanctions movement, more commonly known as the BDS movement, has been 
employed as a hateful weapon to delegitimize the State of Israel and 
all those who stand with her.
  The BDS movement has neither brought Israelis and Palestinians closer 
to peace nor advanced the laudable goal of improving dialogue between 
the supporters of both sides. Instead, it has served as a means to 
demagogue Israel and inflame tensions in communities and college 
campuses around our Nation.
  Rather than sit back and react to the BDS movement's aggressive 
efforts to foment hatred for Israel, it is time to take charge and 
simply say: ``Enough.'' It is time to go on offense against the BDS 
movement's ongoing economic warfare targeting Israel.
  That is why I am proud to announce the Combating BDS Act of 2016, 
bipartisan legislation that I am introducing with the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Vargas), a courageous leader in the anti-BDS movement.
  The Combating BDS Act of 2016 affirms on the Federal level the 
authority of State and local governments to divest public funds or 
entities that engage in commerce or investment-related boycott, 
divestment, or sanctions activity targeting Israel.
  Here is why this idea is so important. Similar to previous local 
efforts to divest from companies doing business with Iran, we are now 
seeing a growing movement in State and local governments throughout the 
Nation to enact measures to divest public funds from entities 
participating in anti-Israel BDS.

                              {time}  1030

  The Combating BDS Act of 2016 strengthens these efforts by affirming 
the legal authority of State and local governments to act on divestment 
without running afoul of any potential Federal limitations.
  This important legislation empowers community leaders and individuals 
who seek to counter the hateful targeting and delegitimization against 
Israel, and it sends an unquestionable message about where the United 
States Congress stands on BDS.
  This is not about left versus right. This is about right versus 
wrong. It must remain bipartisan. As the author of the Combating BDS 
Act of 2016, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides 
of the aisle to advance this powerful and important legislation.

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