Recognizing Jordan

Floor Speech

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, today I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 222, recognizing the long-term partnership and friendship between the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, working together towards peace and security in the Middle East. I would like to recognize the bipartisan support of my colleagues, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel. This resolution comes at a time of extreme unrest and conflict in the region.

Since taking up the post of our country's top diplomat in February, Secretary of State John Kerry has traveled to Amman over six times. Close cooperation between our two nations is critical to meet the challenges of the Middle East region. Jordan plays a key role as the host and mediator in Middle East peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. Jordan has maintained full, normalized diplomatic relations with Israel for almost 20 years since signing the historic 1994 Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty. As an advocate for progress in the Middle East peace process, Jordan is a stabilizing force for the region.

The horrific violence in neighboring Syria threatens to destabilize an entire region. The al-Assad regime continues to fuel a humanitarian crisis through attacks against innocent civilians. Over 100,000 Syrian lives have been lost and approximately 1.8 million refugees have fled Syria. Jordan is hosting over half a million refugees, which is almost 10% of Jordan's population. The government of Jordan is partnering with the international community to care for the needs of this vulnerable population, providing shelter, food, water, health care and education. The burden of caring for such a large number of refugees places enormous economic and social pressures on the country.

The United States has enjoyed a strong alliance with Jordan for over six decades. The Jordanians work closely with the United States in multiple areas, from cooperation in regional and global counterterrorism efforts, to economic development and humanitarian assistance. King Abdullah II is an advocate for modernization in the Arab world, and recognizes the potential opportunity for political reform in Jordan. U.S.-Jordan relations are a key element of U.S. strategic interests in the Middle East. I am pleased to offer this resolution commending the people and Government of Jordan for their continued friendship with the United States and commitment to peace, security and stability in the Middle East.

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