[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2476-2477]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 383--RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNITED STATES-
 ISRAEL ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP AND ENCOURAGING NEW AREAS OF COOPERATION

  Mr. PERDUE (for himself, Mr. Tester, and Mr. Coons) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                              S. Res. 383

       Whereas the deep bond between the United States and Israel 
     is exemplified by its many facets, including the robust 
     economic and commercial relationship;
       Whereas, on April 22, 2015, the United States celebrated 
     the 30th anniversary of its free trade agreement with Israel, 
     which was the first free trade agreement entered into by the 
     United States;
       Whereas the United States-Israel Free Trade Agreement 
     established the Joint Committee to facilitate the agreement 
     and collaborate on efforts to increase bilateral cooperation 
     and investment;
       Whereas, since the signing of this agreement, two-way trade 
     has multiplied tenfold to over $40,000,000,000 annually;
       Whereas Israel is the third largest importer of United 
     States goods in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) 
     region after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, 
     despite representing only 2 percent of the region's 
     population;
       Whereas nearly half of all investment in the United States 
     from the MENA region comes from Israel;
       Whereas Israel has more companies listed on the NASDAQ 
     Stock Exchange than any other country except for the United 
     States and China;
       Whereas, in 1956, the United States-Israel Education 
     Foundation was established to administer the Fulbright 
     Program in Israel, and has facilitated the exchange of nearly 
     3,300 students between the United States and Israel since its 
     inception;
       Whereas, in 1972, the United States-Israel Binational 
     Science Foundation (BSF) was established to promote 
     scientific relations between the United States and Israel by 
     supporting collaborative research projects in basic and 
     applied scientific fields, and has generated investments of 
     over $480,000,000 to over 4,000 projects since its inception;
       Whereas Binational Science Foundation grant recipients have 
     included 43 Nobel Laureates, 19 winners of the Albert Lasker 
     Medical Research Award, and 38 recipients of the Wolf Prize;
       Whereas, in 1977, the United States-Israel Binational 
     Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) was 
     established to stimulate, promote, and support non-defense 
     industrial research and development of mutual benefit to both 
     countries in agriculture, communications, life sciences, 
     electronics, electro-optics, energy, healthcare information 
     technology, homeland security, software, water, and other 
     technologies, and has provided over $300,000,000 to over 700 
     joint projects since its inception;
       Whereas recent successful BIRD projects include the ReWalk 
     system that helps paraplegics walk, a medical teaching 
     simulator for Laparoscopic Hysterectomies, and a new drug to 
     treat chronic gout;
       Whereas, in 1978, the United States-Israel Binational 
     Agricultural Research and Development Fund was established as 
     a competitive funding program for mutually beneficial, 
     mission-oriented, strategic and applied research of 
     agricultural problems conducted jointly by United States and 
     Israeli scientists, and has provided over $250,000,000 to 
     over 1,000 projects since its inception;
       Whereas an independent review of the United States-Israel 
     Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) 
     estimated that the dollar benefits of just 10 of its projects 
     through 2010 came to $440,000,000 in the United States and 
     $300,000,000 in Israel, far exceeding total investment in the 
     program;
       Whereas, in 1984, the United States and Israel began 
     convening the Joint Economic Development Group (JEDG) to 
     regularly discuss economic conditions and identify new 
     opportunities for collaboration;
       Whereas, in 1994, the United States-Israel Science and 
     Technology Foundation (USISTF) was established to promote the 
     advancement of science and technology for mutual economic 
     benefit and has developed joint research and development 
     programs that reach 12 States;
       Whereas the United States-Israel Innovation Index (USI3), 
     which was developed by USISTF to track and benchmark 
     innovation relationships, ranks the United States-Israel 
     innovation relationship as top-tier;
       Whereas, in 2007, the United States-Israel Binational 
     Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) Energy 
     program was established to provide support for joint United 
     States-Israel research and development of renewable energy 
     and energy efficiency, and has provided $18,000,000 to 20 
     joint projects since its founding;
       Whereas, since 2011, the United States Department of Energy 
     and the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures, Energy 
     and Water Resources have led an annual United States-Israel 
     Energy Meeting with participants across government agencies 
     to facilitate bilateral cooperation in that sector;
       Whereas, in 2012, Congress passed and President Barack 
     Obama signed into law the United States-Israel Enhanced 
     Security Cooperation Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-150), which 
     set United States policy to expand bilateral cooperation 
     across the spectrum of civilian sectors, including high 
     technology, agriculture, medicine, health, pharmaceuticals, 
     and energy;

[[Page 2477]]

       Whereas, in 2013, President Obama said in reference to 
     Israel's contribution to the global economy, ``That 
     innovation is just as important to the relationship between 
     the United States and Israel as our security cooperation.'';
       Whereas, in 2014, Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew said, 
     ``As one of the most technologically-advanced and innovative 
     economies in the world, Israel is an important economic 
     partner to the United States.'';
       Whereas the 2014 Global Venture Capital Confidence Survey 
     ranked the United States and Israel as the two countries with 
     the highest levels of investor confidence in the world;
       Whereas, in 2014, Congress passed and President Obama 
     signed into law the United States-Israel Strategic 
     Partnership Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-296), which deepened 
     cooperation on energy, water, agriculture, trade, and 
     defense, and expressed the sense of Congress that Israel is a 
     major strategic partner of the United States; and
       Whereas economic cooperation between the United States and 
     Israel has also thrived at the State and local levels through 
     both formal agreements and bilateral organizations in over 30 
     States that have encouraged new forms of cooperation in 
     fields such as water conservation, cybersecurity, and 
     alternative energy and farming technologies: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) affirms that the United States-Israel economic 
     partnership has achieved great tangible and intangible 
     benefits to both countries and is a foundational component of 
     the strong alliance;
       (2) recognizes that science and technology innovation 
     present promising new frontiers for United States-Israel 
     economic cooperation, particularly in light of widespread 
     drought, cybersecurity attacks, and other major challenges 
     impacting the United States;
       (3) encourages the President to regularize and expand 
     existing forums of economic dialogue with Israel and foster 
     both public and private sector participation; and
       (4) expresses support for the President to explore new 
     agreements with Israel, including in the fields of energy, 
     water, agriculture, medicine, neurotechnology, and 
     cybersecurity.

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