Kathy Manning

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to speak in support of H.R. 340, the Hamas International Financing Prevention Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Representatives Brian Mast and Josh Gottheimer to impose sanctions on the terrorist group Hamas. On October 7, we woke in horror to find Hamas' brutal and despicable terrorist attacks, firing rockets at innocent civilians, storming the Israeli border, invading Israel, going house to house, murdering babies, executing parents in front of their children, massacring 260 young people at a music festival. Hamas killed 31 U.S. citizens and more than 1,400 Israelis while taking hundreds of innocent people hostage in Gaza, including babies and toddlers. Hamas terrorists are not militants. They are not freedom fighters. They are not a civil resistance movement. They are a brutal foreign terrorist organization which is dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews. It is no secret that this is their goal. It is plainly stated in Hamas' founding charter. It is also important to recognize that Hamas has no regard for the lives of innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the very people they rule over, who suffer under Hamas. Let there be no mistake. Hamas bears responsibility for their pain as well. All countries around the world should join the U.S. in demanding Hamas immediately release all the hostages currently held in Gaza. I am grateful that the Biden administration has imposed additional sanctions on senior Hamas officials and their financial backers. We need to continue to bring pressure to bear on Hamas and cut off their flow of resources. That is why this legislation would impose sanctions on foreign entities that provide material and financial support to Hamas and Islamic jihad, while also providing for important humanitarian exemptions. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their work on this bill, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting it.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Representative Brad Schneider, for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan resolution that I reintroduced with Congressman Brad Schneider and colleagues on both sides of the aisle. This resolution, originally introduced by former Congressman Ted Deutch and passed by the House last Congress, urges the European Union to designate Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization. Mr. Speaker, the terrorist group Hezbollah is a linchpin of Iran's axis of resistance and is responsible for thousands of civilian deaths in the Middle East and around the globe, including the 1983 Marine Corps barracks bombing in Beirut and the 1994 AMIA Jewish community center bombing in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Until 9/11, Hezbollah had killed more Americans than any other terrorist group. Today, it maintains an arsenal of 150,000 rockets aimed at Israel. In recent weeks, Hezbollah has fired upon Israel, threatening to open up a second front in the war along Israel's northern border, risking a wider regional confrontation and putting civilians in Lebanon at risk. Given these facts, it is incomprehensible that any EU member state can credibly assert any distinction between Hezbollah's so-called military and political wings. The truth is, there is one unified Hezbollah, and it is dedicated to carrying out terrorist activities around the world. That is why this bipartisan resolution calls on our partners in the EU to take a stronger stand against worldwide terrorism by designating Hezbollah as a whole as a terrorist organization. We must continue to keep pressure on Hezbollah, Hamas, and all other terrorist groups that threaten the United States and our ally Israel, and that undermine peace, security, and stability throughout the region and around the world. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bipartisan measure.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Representative Brad Schneider, for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support H.R. 3266, the Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act, bipartisan legislation I cosponsored, introduced by Representatives Brad Sherman and Brian Mast. Mr. Speaker, this bill is necessary because we continue to see the use of textbooks and other educational materials in schools run by the PA and UNRWA containing anti-Israel content which perpetuates anti- Semitism, victimhood, and martyrdom, erases Israel from the map, and even glorifies violence and terrorism. Children in the West Bank and Gaza deserve the chance to learn without using textbooks that are biased, promote intolerance, and demonize or mischaracterize Israel. That is why this bill would require the State Department to investigate, report to Congress, and make publicly available important information about the content of the curriculum used in these schools. The PA and UNRWA have a responsibility to address and remove problematic content in textbooks that violates the U.N.'s own principles of neutrality and tolerance. We know that no child is born to hate. They have to be carefully taught. Educational materials that teach them hate by demonizing Israel only make it harder to resolve the conflict and achieve lasting peace. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this important bipartisan bill that I am proud to cosponsor.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. I thank my colleague, Representative Burgess Owens, for sponsoring this resolution condemning support for terrorism and anti-Semitism on college campuses. Anti-Semitism is a persistent, shape-shifting hatred that is an affront to our values as Americans. It should be condemned by all. It has no place on college campuses and universities or in our society. I am committed to countering anti-Semitism in all its forms as a co- chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism and as a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee. Tragically, anti-Semitism is on the rise across the United States and around the world. We have witnessed a particularly disturbing increase in anti-Semitic incidents at colleges and universities. According to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents on college and university campuses increased by 40 percent from 2021 to 2022. Since the horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7, we have witnessed an even greater increase in incidents and threats targeting Jewish students across the country--by some accounts, a 400 percent increase. Students at Cooper Union were barricaded inside a library building. Shocking anti-Israel messages were projected onto a building at George Washington University. Just yesterday, a Cornell University student was arrested and charged for posting horrifying threats online targeting Jewish students on campus, threatening to shoot up the kosher dining hall, and calling for Jewish students to be eliminated. It is also deeply disturbing to witness student-led demonstrations and rallies excusing and glorifying the terrorism or expressing sympathy for foreign terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, groups whose driving ideology is anti-Semitic and which are dedicated to the destruction of Israel. College and university leaders have a moral responsibility to make clear that they reject hatred, violence, and anti-Semitism, to hold those responsible for these acts accountable, and to prevent a hostile and intimidating environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff. I am grateful for the Biden administration's commitment to fully enforce Federal civil rights law prohibiting anti-Semitic discrimination and to take steps, including those outlined in the ``U.S. National Strategy to Counter Anti-Semitism,'' to combat the rise of anti-Semitism in higher education. Congress should also make clear that we condemn terrorism, anti- Semitism, and violence and that we remain committed to protecting all students. Madam Speaker, colleges and universities are places where students learn from one another and where they decide who they want to become in life. We can respect and uphold Americans' free speech and First Amendment rights without tolerating discrimination and hate. No matter what your opinion is on foreign policy or any other issue, it does not excuse or give anyone a license to engage in hate against any group. When anti-Semitism and bias against Jews take hold on campus, it deprives students of their equal right to an education and harms everyone in the campus community. That is why I am proud to support this resolution condemning support for terrorism and anti-Semitism on campuses and calling for protections against hate targeting Jews, just as we should for all Americans of any background who are facing increased threats. Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I acknowledge that my colleague is standing against anti-Semitism and that he introduced a measure to require the teaching of the Holocaust. I also introduced an amendment at that same hearing. My amendment would have prohibited the banning by schools and school districts of books about the Holocaust because school districts across the country are banning books like ``The Diary of a Young Girl'' by Anne Frank and the award-winning graphic novel ``Maus'' because they found those books too disturbing. This is exactly what we should be talking about in our hearings, that we should be teaching students the history of the Holocaust using award-winning books because these are the perfect vehicles for making sure that students understand what has happened when anti-Semitism has been allowed to go unchallenged. I thank my colleague for raising this issue in today's setting and hope they will continue to support efforts to avoid the banning of books on the Holocaust. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. For the past 2 weeks, I have been inundated with phone calls, emails, and texts from frantic parents and terrified students who have experienced online hate, taunting from their fellow students, exposure to swastikas on their dorm walls and doors, chants of death to Israel and Jews, and seeing those words chalked on campus walkways. These students sat through anti-Israel and anti-Semitism rants by professors who were supposed to be teaching them, not spreading anti-Israel propaganda. Rallies were held by students and others who are ignorant about the history of the Middle East and ignorant about the 2,000-year history of anti-Semitism. Our education system is failing us, and we are seeing it come alive on our college campuses. We are seeing that failure at some of the most illustrious institutions in my State of North Carolina and at my own alma mater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We are seeing the failure and inability of university presidents and university chancellors--people who are able to take the simple step of condemning terrorism against Israel and of condemning the gruesome attack by Hamas on innocent Israeli civilians and the taking of hostages--to simply call out and condemn anti-Semitism. They do this under the guise of free speech. Madam Speaker, I am glad that Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are committed to standing strong against terrorism, anti- Semitism, and all forms of hate on college campuses. This is critical. This is an important and timely resolution that seeks to call out a deeply disturbing pattern of support for terrorism and anti-Semitism that we have been seeing on all too many college campuses in recent weeks. I am appalled by the inability of our institutions of higher education to be able to stand up for what is right and to take on the initiative to use these incidents as a teaching opportunity. After all, what are our colleges and universities for if they are unable to use this opportunity to teach about what is right and what is accurate. I ask all my colleagues to join me in voting in support of this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, 18 days ago, more than 1,000 Hamas terrorists invaded our Democratic ally Israel, and in the most gruesome, savage, and unimaginably barbaric manner attacked 22 Israeli towns, going house to house slaughtering families, raping girls, beheading babies, setting fire to homes where children were hiding in safe rooms, burning them alive, and taking more than 200 people of 40 different nationalities hostage, including taking infants and the elderly hostage. They massacred more than 260 young people attending an outdoor peace concert. They perpetrated the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, slaughtering more than 1,400 people, including 39 Americans. In committing these horrific crimes against humanity, they have brought disaster to the very people they govern--the Palestinian people. They hide their fighters among civilians. They place rocket launchers and weapons in schools, in hospitals, in mosques, and in residential buildings, compounding their acts of evil. I was so proud that President Biden immediately expressed the full support of the United States for the State of Israel. He traveled to Israel in a time of war to embrace the Israeli people, to show with his presence that the Jewish state has not only a right but a duty to defend itself against Hamas, a terrorist group that has in its charter as its foundational purpose to murder Jews and destroy the State of Israel. Make no mistake: When they shout, ``from the river to the sea,'' they are calling for the total destruction of the State of Israel and ridding the Middle East of all Jews. Well, let me say: not on our watch. The United States will stand side by side with our Democratic ally Israel. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in support of this resolution.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Bennett College, which I have the privilege of representing in Congress. In 1873, Bennett got its start as a school for elementary and secondary students in the basement of Warnersville Methodist Episcopal Church. Now, Bennett College, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, stands as one of only two all-women's HBCUs in the Nation. In the 150 years since its founding, Bennett College and its alumni have made history. Bennett played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement in North Carolina. Before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his famous March on Washington speech, he traveled to Greensboro, North Carolina, in February 1958. There, he was met with an overflowing crowd of young women, the Bennett Belles, at the Annie Merner Pfeiffer Chapel on Bennett's campus. This speech, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s first speech ever given in Greensboro, had a lasting impact on the entire Triad community. Mr. Speaker, 2 years after his speech on Bennett's campus, Bennett Belles participated in the famous Woolworth counter sit-in, the demonstration that ignited a movement of sit-ins for racial equality across the South and across the country and changed the entire course of American history. In the years since then, Bennett's alumni have continued to make history. Bennett had the first Black woman president of a 4-year college in the United States, Dr. Willa B. Player. Former Bennett College President Johnnetta Cole went on to lead the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African Art. Maidie Ruth Gamble Norman was an early Hollywood film star in the 1930s. Dr. Dorothy Brown was the first woman to practice general surgery in the South in the 1940s. Carolyn Robertson Payton led the Peace Corps under President Jimmy Carter. Marian Tasco was Pennsylvania's first Black county commissioner. Many more Bennett Belles have broken down barriers and have been the first to accomplish amazing feats. Today, Bennett continues to educate young minds and produce changemakers. Bennett has been an influential institution in our Nation's history, as well as a pillar of outstanding education in Greensboro, North Carolina. Congratulations to the Bennett Belles on 150 years of excellence.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I was not recorded on rollcall No. 366. Had I been recorded, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 366.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, the United States is experiencing a maternal health crisis. This country has the highest maternal mortality rate among all developed nations, disproportionately impacting women of color, women in rural areas, and low-income women. Yet, according to the CDC, 60 percent of these deaths are preventable. Let me say that again: 60 percent of maternal deaths in the U.S. are preventable. That is unacceptable. Healthy mothers and healthy babies must be a priority for this country. That is why I reintroduced my Advancing Maternal Health Equity Under Medicaid Act so that all people with Medicaid coverage can get the access and the care they need during and after pregnancy. I encourage all my colleagues to support this critical legislation to help reduce the stark racial, ethnic, and income-based disparities in healthcare outcomes and save lives.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I was not recorded on rollcall No. 340. Had I been recorded, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 340.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 57, expressing the sense of Congress supporting the State of Israel. Israel, the historic homeland of the Jewish people, is a robust, thriving, multiracial, multiethnic, and multireligious democracy that shares our democratic values. Like the United States, Israel is not perfect. It has challenges and policies that are openly criticized, often by the Israeli people themselves. Let me be clear. Israel is not now and never has been a racist state. That characterization is contrary to the facts. It is an untrue and unfair characterization that slanders our strongest ally in the region. Significantly, Israel is the world's only Jewish state. Prior to its founding, Jews suffered centuries of persecution with no country, not one that would guarantee their safe haven. Since its founding, Israel has valued equal rights for all its citizens. It has provided a home to Jewish refugees from all across the globe, from Ethiopia to the Soviet Union to Argentina to Ukraine, all while living under threat from neighbors and terrorist groups dedicated to Israel's destruction. Too often, divisive voices are quick to demonize Israel. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship. Tomorrow, I will be proud to welcome President Herzog to a historic joint meeting of Congress where the bipartisan majority of this body will stand together to commemorate and cherish the U.S.-Israel relationship. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting to support this straightforward resolution and stand with our democratic ally Israel.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, last year in his concurring opinion in the Dobbs case, Justice Clarence Thomas called for the right to contraception to be reconsidered, encouraging extreme Republican State lawmakers who have been attempting to restrict birth control for years. Ninety percent of Americans believe there should be access to all FDA-approved birth control, yet we continue to see States, including my home State of North Carolina, attempt to restrict birth control. I will not stand idly by and watch extreme politicians interfere with Americans' private healthcare choices. Birth control is essential healthcare. Access to birth control is key to women's equality, bolstering education and economic opportunity, and ensuring that people are in control of their futures. That is why I am reintroducing my bill, the Right to Contraception Act, to create a Federal right to access FDA-approved birth control. My bill passed the House last Congress with bipartisan support. There is no reason why that can't happen again. I call upon my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in protecting access to birth control.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. This important plan recognizes that we all have a role in this fight. It highlights the importance of raising awareness and understanding of anti-Semitism. It requires education both inside and outside the classroom and the workplace. It calls on Members of Congress individually and in a bipartisan group to speak continually about the evils of anti-Semitism and to share this message with our constituents. I am committed to working with my colleagues to further combat anti- Semitism and other forms of hate which threaten our values and the foundation of our democracy. Mr. Speaker, I thank all of those who helped us be able to recognize Jewish American Heritage Month, and I urge my colleagues to join in supporting this important legislation.

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York, Ranking Member Nadler, for yielding and for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H. Res. 382, an important bipartisan resolution condemning the rise of anti-Semitism and highlighting the importance of Jewish-American heritage. I start by recognizing my friend, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the author of this resolution, for her leadership in making Jewish American Heritage Month a reality and in leading so many efforts to stand up for the Jewish community and speak out against anti- Semitism. I am proud to join her and Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and David Kustoff, Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and many others, as an original cosponsor of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, this month is Jewish American Heritage Month, a time to recognize and celebrate American Jews and their many important contributions to our society. For centuries, since the first arrival of Jews in 1654, Jewish Americans have enriched communities in every part of our country, forming an indelible part of our national fabric. Jews have contributed to every facet of American life, from science and medicine to education, business, technology, music, theater, art, sports, philanthropy, the labor movement, the fight for civil rights, and the pursuit of justice. The history of the Jews, time and time again, has been about resilience and achievement in the face of adversity. It is deeply meaningful for us to have a month dedicated to telling the rich and remarkable story of the American Jewish experience. Yet, as we celebrate the contribution of Jews to America, we cannot ignore the alarming rise of anti-Semitism here in the United States and around the world. According to the FBI, anti-Semitic hate crimes rose by nearly 20 percent in 2021. The data also shows that Jews are the single leading targets of religiously motivated hate crimes in this country. It is clear that we need a better, stronger, and national-level commitment to counter this steep rise in anti-Semitism. That is why, last year, more than 125 members of the House and Senate Bipartisan Task Forces For Combating Anti-Semitism, which I am proud to co-chair, signed a letter to President Biden calling for a unified national strategy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism. Last week, the White House did just that, releasing the first-ever ``United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism,'' a truly comprehensive, whole-of-society effort to combat hatred of Jews.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, Republicans are refusing to raise the debt ceiling, manufacturing a crisis to push their extreme agenda. They are ready to allow our government to default on its debt for the first time in our history, even though Republicans raised the debt ceiling three times during the Trump administration after passing almost $2 trillion in tax cuts for large corporations and the ultra-wealthy. The default should matter to average Americans because if the government runs out of cash, it won't be able to make Social Security payments to seniors who rely on them; families on food assistance will go hungry; veterans won't get the care and the benefits they have earned. Defaulting on our debt will destabilize the U.S. financial system resulting in a recession, job loss, and spiking interest rates. This means it will be more expensive for people to get loans to buy cars, buy homes, attend college, or invest in their small businesses. It is time for Republicans to stop holding our economy hostage and to do their job.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, May is Jewish American Heritage Month, a time to acknowledge the inspiring history of American Jews and to celebrate their contributions to every facet of American life. From science and medicine to education and technology to music, theater, philanthropy, civil rights, and the pursuit of justice, American Jews have worked hard to build our great country. Yet, we are facing a frightening rise in anti-Semitism. The 2021 FBI hate crimes report showed a 20 percent increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes. Jews are the most targeted minority group in America, despite being only 2 percent of the population. History has taught us that what starts with anti-Semitism never stops there. Hatred spreads to other minorities and threatens the foundations of democracy. As the co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, I am working with Members on both sides of the aisle and the Biden administration to confront anti-Semitism. I will continue this fight to honor the Jewish Americans who have contributed so much to American life.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Now, more than ever, we must acknowledge the mental health crisis facing our Nation, particularly among school-aged children. Repercussions from the pandemic and increased social pressure from social media have led to reports of rapidly rising mental health struggles. In my home State of North Carolina, our K through 12 students are struggling. Last month, I hosted a roundtable with school counselors, administrators, and teachers to hear firsthand about the challenges impacting young people. Suicide attempts and youth depression are rising at alarming rates. Congress must act to address students' mental health needs. I am preparing to reintroduce my bipartisan bill, Improving Mental Health and Wellness in Schools Act, legislation to integrate mental health education and services into existing wellness policies in schools. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and taking swift action to address the mental health needs of our students.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution before us today. It is not just timely; it is urgently important. Earlier this month, a court in the People's Republic of China denied an appeal by U.S. national Mark Swidan, who has been wrongly detained in China, and upheld his death penalty with a 2-year suspended death sentence. The PRC has detained Mark since his arrest for drug-related crimes in 2012, even though he was not convicted until 2019. He has been arbitrarily detained for more than 10 years and has been denied regular communication with his family, regular access to United States' consular officials, and has not had access to competent medical care and treatment. Swidan's detention conditions have included exposure to extreme weather conditions, sleep deprivation, and physical and psychological abuse, leading tragically to Mark's attempting to take his own life. This is, simply put, a travesty of justice. Mr. Speaker, no concrete evidence has been provided to justify the charges against Mr. Swidan. In 2020, a United Nations body confirmed what we already knew, that Mr. Swidan has been arbitrarily detained in violation of international law, and we call for his swift release. Mr. Speaker, this body needs to come together today to stand up for Mr. Swidan and make clear to Beijing that his inhumane treatment is unacceptable. H. Res. 90 is a bipartisan measure led by Representative Cloud that passed out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously. It condemns the PRC for its mistreatment of Mark and calls for his immediate release. It also asks the Biden administration to redouble its efforts to highlight the case of Mr. Swidan internationally and to help secure his release through diplomacy. Though the court has provided Mr. Swidan with a 2-year reprieve on his death sentence, we cannot afford to wait that long to correct the injustice he has suffered. By passing this resolution today, the House makes clear to the People's Republic of China that it should release Mark Swidan immediately. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this timely resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, the American people send us to Washington to represent them, to advance the national interest, and most importantly, to keep them safe. When the life and dignity of any American is challenged or undermined, it is our duty as lawmakers to speak out and take action. That is why it is vital that this body condemn the People's Republic of China for its unjust and arbitrary detention and inhumane treatment of American citizen Mark Swidan. That is why it is vital that this body demand that Mr. Swidan be swiftly released and returned to the United States. Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me and support this important resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, 75 years ago, the State of Israel joined the community of nations when it declared its independence from the British Empire. In the wake of World War II and the Holocaust, for the first time in modern history, the Jews would have a land and a military of their own that would allow them to overcome centuries of anti-Semitism, persecution, and attempts at elimination. The State of Israel rests on land that has been uniquely bound to the Jewish people for thousands of years. From the Exodus from Egypt to the First and Second Temples all the way to today's modern age, there has always been a Jewish presence between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River. Over the last 75 years, Israelis have made the desert bloom, transforming the country into a modern, industrialized democracy. Israel is a leader in technology, business, and agriculture. The country's innovative technologies have greatly benefited the United States military and other government agencies. Israel shares the democratic and human rights values we treasure here in the United States. The recent Abraham Accords represent yet another milestone in Israel's development. Normalization of Israel's relationships with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco are already enhancing regional diplomacy, security, and communication and will serve as an incubator for increased regional stability, prosperity, and peace. These agreements come on top of already realized peace agreements with Israel's neighbors, Egypt and Jordan, and demonstrate the power of diplomacy and compromise. As a proud, lifelong supporter of a strong bipartisan U.S.-Israel relationship, I also support a two-state solution which preserves Israel's fundamental character as a Jewish and a democratic state. This has been the longstanding policy of the United States through both Republican and Democratic administrations. A two-state solution is the only way Israel can remain both Jewish and democratic into the future, and it is the only way to meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people. I would like to see the bipartisan consensus on two states be maintained in the future for the benefit of the United States, Israel, the Palestinians, and the wider region and world. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to be on the floor of the House of Representatives honoring Israel's 75th anniversary as well as the Abraham Accords. Modern Israel is truly a miracle, and its existence is an asset to our great country. I encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution that I was proud to help introduce with my colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs Committee: Representatives Ann Wagner, Brad Schneider, and Chairman Mike McCaul. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend from Illinois (Mr. Schneider).