Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1850, the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act, bipartisan legislation that I was proud to introduce with my good friend and Republican colleague, Congressman Brian Mast from Florida.

I also thank my good friend, Mr. Smith from New Jersey, for his leadership.

I want to thank House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel and Ranking Member Mike McCaul, who were original cosponsors of our legislation, for their support and leadership.

Mr. Speaker, Hamas is a heinous terrorist group responsible for the murders of innocent American and Israeli citizens, which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department since 1997. It is well known for firing rockets and digging terror tunnels into Israel and using Gazans, including women and children, as human shields. In fact, in May, terrorist groups like Hamas and PIJ in Gaza fired more than 600 rockets at Israel in just 36 hours.

It is critical that the United States and our allies continue to isolate Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad by cutting them off at the source, including Iran.

As the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, the Iranian regime provides more than $70 million annually to the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.

Just yesterday, Iran's supreme leader met with the political deputy chief of Hamas and renewed Iran's commitment to supporting this terrorist organization in its armed struggle against Israel.

Iran is also a principal funder of PIJ, helping the group amass a stockpile of more than 8,000 rockets aimed at Israel, an arsenal even larger than that of Hamas.

PIJ has also claimed credit for multiple terrorist attacks in Israel, including a gruesome suicide bus bombing in April 1995 that killed New Jersey student Alisa Flatow, a graduate of the Frisch School in my district in Paramus. And I will say forever that her memory should never be forgotten.

H.R. 1850 would require the President to submit to Congress an annual report for the next 3 years identifying foreign entities who assist Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or an affiliate or successor, and impose at least two or more crippling sanctions.

This bill would also crack down on foreign terrorist governments that support these groups, by suspending U.S. foreign aid, making it harder for them to receive loans or technical assistance, and tying up their credit.

This bipartisan bill will strengthen existing sanctions to weaken these terrorist groups that threaten our ally Israel, undermine peace, and further destabilize the Middle East.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this critical legislation and in the fight against terror.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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