[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 24, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5028-S5029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 ISRAEL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on one final matter, yesterday, the 
Democratic House of Representatives took a small step--small--to 
denounce the scourge of anti-Semitism. They passed a symbolic 
resolution opposing efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel and 
condemn the BDS movement.
  It is too bad all of this, of all things, couldn't have been a 
unanimous vote. It is too bad that 16 Democrats voted against 
condemning BDS. Sixteen Democrats voted against condemning BDS over in 
the House yesterday.
  It is regrettable that some of the Democrats who claim to represent 
the

[[Page S5029]]

future of their party lobbied against the measure that should be 
completely without controversy.
  Even more broadly, I am sorry the bipartisan Senate-passed bill that 
would actually do something about BDS--in other words, action, not mere 
rhetoric--is still languishing over in the House without a vote, 
bipartisan legislation that passed with the support of 77 Senators, 
including my friend the Democratic leader--77 votes in the Senate, 
thoroughly bipartisan, but the Democratic House has found a way to 
fumble the ball.
  Several months back, it took days of throat-clearing and a whole lot 
of watering down before they could even halfway condemn anti-Semitic 
remarks by one of their own Members. Now this symbolic BDS resolution 
is held up as a major victory, while Senate-passed legislation that 
would actually take action--actually do something against BDS--doesn't 
even get a vote. They will not even give it a vote over there in the 
House.
  House Republicans have called for a vote on S. 1 over and over and 
over again, but the Speaker of the House doesn't seem interested.
  I understand that picking fights with the President seems to be a 
higher priority across the Capitol than joining with the Senate to get 
bipartisan legislation actually made into law, but surely taking action 
to combat anti-Semitic efforts to delegitimize Israel shouldn't be too 
much to ask.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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