[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2616]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  WELCOMING THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL TO THE UNITED STATES FOR HIS 
                 ADDRESS TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, on Tuesday of next week, Israeli Prime 
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will make an historic address before the 
Congress. This is his third address as Prime Minister of Israel. At the 
invitation of Speaker Boehner, he is coming to discuss Iran's nuclear 
ambitions and the ongoing P5+1 negotiations, as well as the rise of the 
Islamic State terrorist group and other jihadist groups across the 
Middle East.
  These are obviously serious issues of national security, both for 
Israel but also for us here in the United States, and Prime Minister 
Netanyahu and the citizens of Israel have a unique perspective on those 
issues. In the interest of staying fully informed and aligned with our 
closest ally in the region, Israel, Congress needs to listen to what 
Prime Minister Netanyahu has to say, and I look forward to doing so.
  I believe the Prime Minister's speech will be both informative and 
timely, as the Obama administration is reportedly trying to lock down a 
questionable nuclear deal with the Iranians by the March 24 deadline.
  That is why I have introduced S. Res. 76 that welcomes the Prime 
Minister of Israel to the United States for his address to Congress. 
This resolution explains just a few of the reasons why the U.S.-Israel 
alliance is so powerful and so enduring, and it states in part that we 
welcome the Prime Minister and eagerly await his address before 
Congress. This resolution reaffirms our commitment to stand with Israel 
in times of uncertainty, strongly supports Israel's right to self-
defense, and finally reaffirms our support and the friendship between 
our two countries. These sentiments are widely shared in Congress, but 
in an increasingly perilous global security environment in which we 
find ourselves, I think it is important to remind people of how and why 
the United States stands with Israel.
  A majority of Senators have cosponsored this resolution, and I 
believe today it is time for the Senate to pass it, to reaffirm there 
will be no daylight between the United States and Israel when it comes 
to common issues of national security.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign 
Relations be discharged from further consideration of and the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 76.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 76) welcoming the Prime Minister of 
     Israel to the United States for his address to a joint 
     session of Congress.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Cornyn 
amendment be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the 
preamble be agreed to, the Cornyn amendment to the title be agreed to, 
and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 262) was agreed to, as follows:

               (Purpose: To make a technical correction)

         On page 3, line 4, strike ``joint session'' and insert 
     ``joint meeting''.

  The resolution (S. Res. 76), as amended, was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution as amended, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 76

       Whereas, since its founding in 1948, Israel has been a 
     strong and steadfast ally to the United States in the Middle 
     East, a region characterized by instability and violence;
       Whereas the United States-Israel relationship is built on 
     mutual respect for common values, including a commitment to 
     democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, free-market 
     principles, and ethnic and religious diversity;
       Whereas the strong cultural, religious, and political ties 
     shared by the United States and Israel help form a bond 
     between our countries that should never be broken;
       Whereas Israel continues to serve as a shining model of 
     democratic values by regularly holding free and fair 
     elections, promoting the free exchange of ideas, and 
     vigorously exercising a form of democratic government that is 
     fully representative of its citizens;
       Whereas nations such as Iran and Syria, as well as 
     designated foreign terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah 
     and Hamas, refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist, 
     continually call for its destruction, and have repeatedly 
     attacked Israel either directly or through proxies;
       Whereas, in particular, the Government of Iran's ongoing 
     pursuit of nuclear weapons poses a tremendous threat both to 
     the United States and Israel;
       Whereas the negotiations between the so-called P5+1 
     countries and Iran over its illicit nuclear weapons program 
     are entering a key phase, and Congress has heard the 
     perspectives, both publicly and privately, of a number of 
     close allies involved in the negotiations; and
       Whereas the United States is committed to ensuring that 
     Israel, as a strong and trusted ally, maintains its 
     qualitative military edge: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) warmly welcomes the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin 
     Netanyahu, on his visit to the United States, which provides 
     a timely opportunity to reinforce the United States-Israel 
     relationship;
       (2) eagerly awaits the address of Prime Minister Netanyahu 
     before a joint meeting of the United States Congress;
       (3) reaffirms its commitment to stand with Israel during 
     times of uncertainty;
       (4) continues to strongly support Israel's right to defend 
     itself from threats to its very survival; and
       (5) reaffirms its unequivocal and bipartisan support for 
     the friendship between the people and Governments of the 
     United States and Israel.

  The amendment (No. 263) was agreed to, as follows:

                     (Purpose: To amend the title)

         Amend the title so as to read: ``A resolution welcoming 
     the Prime Minister of Israel to the United States for his 
     address to a joint meeting of Congress.''.

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence 
of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. 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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