Welcoming The Prime Minister Of Israel To The United States For His Address To A Joint Session Of Congress

Floor Speech

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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.

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