Lawmakers Debate Bill Aimed At 'Incentivizing' Arab States To Join Abraham Accords

Forbes Breaking News

During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing prior to the congressional recess, lawmakers debated a bill that would facilitate arms deals for Arab states that have normalized relations with Israel.

Transcript

00:04Pursuant to notice, I now call up H.R. 4335, the Abraham Accords Defense Against Terror Act.

00:12This bill was circulated in advance, and the clerk shall designate the bill.

00:19H.R. 4335, to provide authority to enhance security assistance with countries that are engaged in regional security cooperation efforts

00:28in the Middle East and North Africa, and for other purposes.

00:30Without objection, the first reading is dispensed with, and the bill is considered read and open to amendment at any point.

00:37Also, without objection, the Lawler Amendment, in the natures of a substitute, circulated to members in advance,

00:42shall be considered as read and will be treated as original text for the purpose of the amendment.

00:50I now recognize myself in support of this legislation.

00:58I want to thank my friend and my colleague, the MENA Subcommittee Chair, Representative Lawler,

01:04for sponsoring this piece of legislation.

01:07The Foreign Military Sales Program, which we've spoken about quite a bit today,

01:11is a key component for our national security.

01:14FMS strengthens our alliances, enhances interoperability with partner forces,

01:20promotes regional stability by ensuring that foreign governments are equipped

01:24with high-quality, reliable U.S. defense systems.

01:28Yet the process underpinning foreign military sales is complex, lengthy, and opaque,

01:33leading many of our traditional defense partners to question U.S. reliability

01:37and commitment to our long-term partners.

01:40There is a clear recognition that it's simply not enough for our equipment to be the best.

01:45Those procuring U.S. origin weapons must also have the confidence

01:49that our equipment will be delivered on time in a transparent manner.

01:55Streamlining the FMS process is critical if the U.S. is to remain the partner of choice,

02:00particularly in the Middle East and North Africa,

02:03which represents the lion's share of FMS cases globally,

02:06yet also subject to some of the most egregious delays.

02:10This inherent unpredictability has increasingly driven our traditional partners

02:14to consider alternative defense suppliers,

02:17threatening the competitiveness of the U.S. defense industry

02:20as well as its interoperability.

02:24These sales are critical to ensure our partners and allies

02:27have the tools that they need to continue working with the U.S.

02:31to advance our shared objectives.

02:33These issues are something this committee will work hard to address,

02:38a goal that I know is shared by this administration.

02:41This is why this bill is essential by ensuring FMS sales to partners and allies in the region

02:46who have taken steps to advance critical U.S. national interests,

02:50notably with respect to Iran and Israel,

02:53receive priority when it comes to congressional review.

02:56These sales not only build partner capacity,

03:00but also help strengthen interoperability, as I've said already.

03:03This helps ensure key partners in the region are equipped to work

03:07and work in a hand-in-club manner with us

03:11to collectively respond to evolving security challenges

03:14and ultimately strengthens our collective deterrence

03:17and, therefore, overall regional stability

03:20and the strength of the United States of America.

03:23Do any of any other members seek recognition?

03:26Ranking Member Meeks.

03:27Thank you, Mr. Chair.

03:30Let me be clear that I'm a strong supporter of the Abraham Accords

03:36and the efforts by Arab states to normalize diplomatic relationships with Israel.

03:42It is something that I have seen over my lifetime in Congress.

03:49For the first time, countries agreeing to the Jewish state of Israel.

03:56It is the beginning of trying to get to a real peace in the Middle East.

04:02It is just the beginning.

04:05We have a long way to go.

04:07But I'm a supporter, and I thank the many Arab countries

04:12who have agreed to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.

04:19And I look forward to others joining to do just that.

04:23It's the only way to work towards broader regional peace and stability.

04:29And it's important, though, that countries do so

04:32based on merit and genuine openness.

04:38We shouldn't be having a set of quid pro quo arrangements or enticements.

04:45It should be done on the merits.

04:49As we see countries agreeing and moving forward,

04:54we cannot ever forget human rights.

05:00It is, you know, in Mr. Lawless Bill,

05:05it would mandate expedited processing of all U.S. arms sales

05:13to the Abraham Accord countries,

05:15as well as we shrink the statutory required congressional review time

05:20of any such sale from 30 to 15 days.

05:25Why do I disagree with this?

05:27It's because this would put such a review period

05:30on par with our historic U.S. treaty allies,

05:37like NATO member countries,

05:39like South Korea and Japan.

05:43And while I support the broadening of the Abraham Accords,

05:48I don't believe it is appropriate to equate

05:50longstanding allies like the U.K.,

05:54like France or Canada,

05:58all countries with which the United States

06:00has detailed comprehensive defensive agreements,

06:04to countries who have thus far

06:07had inconsistent and checkered records

06:10regarding the U.S. weapons,

06:13the use of U.S. weapons in conflicts

06:14and protections of sensitive defensive technologies.

06:20An example of that would be

06:22the misuse and diversion of U.S. weapons in Yemen.

06:27The UAE, unfortunately, continues to provide armed support

06:32to the RSF militia in Sudan.

06:35And this has been extensively documented.

06:41I've paid particular attention to what's taking place

06:46and talking to our humanitarian groups

06:49and talking to individuals

06:51about what's happening on the ground there.

06:53It concerns me.

06:56I appreciate the UAE becoming an Abraham Accord country

07:04and working with Israel in that regard.

07:07But if we provide expedited timeline

07:14to our closest allies,

07:16or we do provide an expedited timeline

07:19to our closest allies

07:20because of the presumption of approval,

07:24I can't say that we have a presumption of approval

07:26in this case

07:27with the countries

07:29who are part of the Abraham Accords.

07:32This bill also comes at the time

07:34that the Trump administration has made corrupt

07:38pay-to-play deals with the Gulf governments,

07:42a central part of U.S. policy.

07:44Congress still has yet to receive

07:46any substantive details

07:48from the administration

07:50regarding the arms, crypto, and AI deals

07:54the White House announced

07:55during President Trump's May Gulf trip.

07:58This reflects the administration's unfortunate pattern

08:01of discounting the legislative branch

08:04and flouting transparency and oversight.

08:08And for these reasons,

08:09I cannot support this bill at this time,

08:13and I yield back the balance of my time.

08:16The ranking member yields back.

08:17Do any other members seek recognition?

08:19Representative Lawler is recognized.

08:21Thank you, Mr. Chairman,

08:22and thank you for bringing this bill forward

08:25for markup today.

08:27The Abraham Accords

08:28were the single greatest development

08:30towards peace in the Middle East

08:31in recent decades.

08:32For over 75 years,

08:34Israel has been our staunchest ally

08:36and a pivotal partner in the region.

08:39Israel is a beacon of freedom,

08:41democracy, and prosperity,

08:43a true innovation nation

08:45with a successful and vibrant society

08:47despite the geopolitical conditions

08:50they have faced.

08:51President Trump recognized this

08:53during his first administration,

08:55and he worked diligently

08:56with some of our partners

08:57in the Arab world

08:58to showcase this.

08:59He showed them

09:00the economic benefits

09:02to normalizing with Israel

09:04and that the real inhibitor

09:06to a prosperous Middle East

09:08is not Israel,

09:09but Iran.

09:11So, at its origins

09:12in September 2020,

09:14the Abraham Accords

09:15included the UAE

09:17and Bahrain.

09:19Morocco joined

09:20the following December.

09:22During President Biden's term,

09:23he made no forward progress

09:25with other nations

09:26to normalize with Israel.

09:29Luckily,

09:29President Trump

09:30has again been prioritizing

09:32this agreement

09:33since he has been back

09:35in the White House.

09:37The Abraham Accords

09:38Defense Against Terror Act

09:40will make the President's job

09:41just a little easier

09:42by further incentivizing countries

09:45to normalize with Israel.

09:47This legislation

09:48will enhance arm sales processes

09:50for Abraham Accords countries

09:52that also cooperate

09:54with the U.S.

09:55on anti-Iran efforts

09:56or Iran-proxy

09:58counterterrorism efforts.

09:59Specifically,

10:00it narrows the timeline

10:01for congressional consideration

10:03after arm sales

10:04are accepted.

10:06This is the same

10:07preferential treatment

10:08that our NATO allies receive.

10:10In addition to the tangible benefits

10:12of this shorter time period,

10:14there is also great symbolism.

10:16We are showing

10:16our Middle East partners

10:17that we're serious

10:18about deepening security ties.

10:21This was something

10:22I emphasized

10:23when I traveled

10:24to the region

10:24this past May

10:25and something I know

10:26the President has focused on

10:28during his trip there as well.

10:30The United States

10:31sees the UAE, Bahrain,

10:32and Morocco

10:33as key partners

10:34and we are dedicated

10:35to maintaining

10:36these relationships

10:37and expanding them further.

10:39A similar sentiment

10:40is shared for Saudi Arabia

10:42and our other partners

10:43in the region.

10:44We are hopeful

10:45that Saudi Arabia

10:46and others in the future

10:47know this as well.

10:49As a leader

10:49in the Arab world,

10:50Saudi Arabia

10:51joining the Abraham Accords

10:52would make massive inroads

10:54for Israel's relationships

10:55not only in the Middle East

10:57but across the globe.

10:59So I want to thank

10:59Chairman Mass

11:00for understanding

11:01the benefits

11:02of strengthening ties

11:03in the Middle East

11:03and for bringing

11:04this critical legislation

11:06before the House

11:06Foreign Affairs Committee.

11:08And I encourage

11:08all of my fellow

11:09committee members

11:10to support

11:11this bipartisan bill

11:12and I yield

11:13the remainder of my time.

11:14Representative Yields.

11:16Representative Jacobs

11:17is recognized.

11:17Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

11:20I am opposing this bill.

11:23Overseeing arms transfer decisions

11:24is one of the most

11:26important oversight duties

11:27of this committee

11:27and I cannot support a bill

11:29that weakens

11:30our oversight responsibilities.

11:32This bill would cut

11:33in half the time

11:34for Congress

11:34to review sales

11:35to Abraham Accord countries

11:36which includes Egypt

11:38and the United Arab Emirates.

11:40In Egypt,

11:41Congress maintains

11:41longstanding concerns

11:43with its poor

11:43human rights record

11:44and growing ties

11:45to Russia and China.

11:47In the UAE,

11:48I and other members

11:49of this committee

11:49have expressed

11:50deep concerns

11:51that Abu Dhabi's

11:52continued material support

11:54to the rapid support forces

11:55in Sudan

11:55which is committing

11:57a horrific genocide

11:58in Darfur.

11:59We should not grant

12:00these countries

12:00privileged access

12:01to U.S. arms

12:02given these considerations.

12:04Besides,

12:05this bill won't even

12:06solve the problems

12:06my colleagues

12:07are trying to solve.

12:08We all know

12:09that the arms transfer process

12:11is often a years-long process

12:12whose lengthiest aspects

12:14are the DOD contracting timeline

12:15and the production timeline.

12:18Shaving 15 days

12:19off of the congressional

12:20notification clock

12:22will do little

12:23to incentivize countries

12:24to normalize relations

12:25with Israel

12:26but it will have the time

12:28available to members

12:29of Congress

12:30to assess some

12:31highly sensitive sales

12:32to countries

12:32that require heightened

12:33not weakened oversight.

12:35So for that reason,

12:36I oppose this bill.

12:37I urge my colleagues

12:38to do so as well

12:38and Mr. Chairman,

12:39I yield back.

12:40I yield back.

12:41Representative Self

12:42is recognized.

12:43Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

12:44I applaud Mr. Lawler's

12:46work on this.

12:47The Abraham Accords

12:48are vitally important

12:50to the Middle East.

12:52I will just make

12:53two points

12:54along the lines

12:56of Mr. Meeks.

12:57If everything

12:58is most important,

13:01nothing is.

13:02If everything

13:03is number one,

13:04nothing is.

13:05So we need

13:06to be careful

13:07because our industrial base

13:08is having trouble

13:09keeping up right now

13:11with our commitments

13:12for weapons

13:12across the world

13:13as is the European

13:15industrial base.

13:18And secondly,

13:19I want to make

13:19very clear

13:21that I support

13:22the qualitative edge

13:23of Israel's weapons

13:26from the U.S.

13:28over anyone else

13:29in the region.

13:31So we need

13:31to be really careful

13:32about the qualitative edge

13:34of the Israeli weapon systems

13:37that we are getting

13:37to them.

13:38With that,

13:38that you're back.

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