Lee Zeldin

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as I am listening to different colleagues on the other side of the aisle speaking about this resolution, some are claiming that this is not partisan and that the timing doesn't have anything to do with the Trump administration, and then others are coming and speaking that this is about rebuking the Trump administration. So I am unclear as far as that messaging. I do know that there have been multiple quotes that have been put out by Democrats in this Chamber that the timing is no coincidence. This was brought up after an announcement was made recently by Secretary Pompeo with regards to reversing President Obama's policy that was announced after the November 2016 election. So, where my friends on the other side of the aisle speak about longstanding U.S. policy, I guess it is important for a quick recap of that longstanding U.S. policy over recent years. At the end of 2016, after the November 2016 election, the Obama administration helped get through the United Nations U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334 with regards to the view of activity in Judea, Samaria, and parts of east Jerusalem; and, for the first time, the U.N. Security Council was saying that that was a violation of international law. This Chamber, with more Democrats voting in favor of the resolution than against, voted for a resolution to condemn U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334. This Chamber had a problem on a large, bipartisan basis and came together to condemn U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334. That is what this resolution specifically references when it says the Obama administration's policy from December 2016. That was great when we all came together like that because we had a problem with reversing longstanding U.S. policy with that U.N. Security Council resolution. Then this Chamber came together again this past summer, almost unanimously, passing a resolution--a strong, bipartisan resolution-- strongly condemning BDS and talking about the need for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. This resolution today is, unfortunately, a debate. It is a draft, and it is a vote that is going to be very partisan. But the inconsistency and the arguments on the other side of the aisle--some are saying this has nothing to do with President Trump and his policies and others are saying that it does. And some are saying that timing is no coincidence and others have made specific comments that it is absolutely a result of the Trump administration's recent announcements. Those inconsistencies are being noticed by all. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, for the sake of time, I will save some of my thoughts on what was just said. That was a very alternate version of reality that we look forward to addressing over the course of this debate. Hopefully, my friend from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) sticks around. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, one point to clarify about this resolution, as the bill's author, my friend from Queens, we should say, even though he has a new district these days, talks about this not being a partisan resolution, this debate and this vote, the reality is this resolution is going to end up being, and is, the most partisan resolution that this House has ever taken up on Israel. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to an opportunity to work with the bill's author. I believe strongly in the need to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship. I also feel strongly in my opposition to this bill, as many of my colleagues do as well, but it actually is quite partisan with regard to the text, the debate, and the ultimate vote. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Res. 326. I have great respect for the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), who has been a long-time champion of the U.S.-Israel relationship. And as I was listening to his opening remarks, there is a lot that he said that I strongly agreed with. And it kind of pained me realizing that he didn't write this actual resolution that is before us, because I know it would have been worded differently and it would have received support. Unfortunately, many of the opening remarks which I strongly agreed with are deliberately not in this resolution. It is a great opening for another resolution, not this one. Last summer we came to the House floor and we almost unanimously passed a resolution to strongly oppose BDS. That resolution included a lot of what this resolution tries to do. It is a watered-down version of what we did last summer. When we woke up the next day, many Members in this House said, okay, now what are we going to do about it? S. 1 was a bill that passed at the beginning of this year in the Senate with strong bipartisan support with under 80 Senators voting for it. It has a companion bill, H.R. 336, by lead Republican Michael McCaul of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. There is a discharge petition that has almost 200 signatures on it led by Congressman Brian Mast to bring S. 1-H.R. 336 to the floor. So we made a strong statement last summer, and we woke up the next day, and are motivated to do something about it. We can actually, right now, with this time that we are debating and with the vote that we are about to have, we can actually be passing a bill with teeth that would go to the President's desk and would be signed into law. And that is where our focus should have been. This resolution before us today is deeply flawed, it is highly partisan, it is ill-timed, and it is poorly crafted. In the last 2 years, Israel has been hit by over 2,600 rockets and mortars. In the past year alone, 1,500 of those rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Filing this resolution squarely into the category of worst timing possible, H. Res. 326 comes to the floor just 1 week after Israel was bombarded with over 450 rockets. In all of the pages of this resolution, guess where it mentions Palestinian terrorism? Nowhere. This resolution fails to not only recognize these latest attacks, but all of the persistent assaults on innocent Israelis by Palestinian terrorists. Guess what else this resolution fails to mention? It is silent on fundamental facts that shape the way Israel has dealt with a constant threat on its border, as the chair so eloquently observed when he referenced Hamas rockets raining into Israel and Palestinians paying off terrorists, and the need for a Jewish and democratic state. It makes no reference to Hamas firing rockets. It makes no reference to Palestinians paying off terrorists. It makes no reference to recognizing Israel as a Jewish state. During the March of Return, every single week protestors gather along the border of Israel in Gaza to throw Molotov cocktails and burning tires at IDF soldiers. Just this week, Hamas passed out leaflets calling on the public to join these protests in response to Israel defending itself against the Palestinian Islamic jihad. You won't find this in this resolution. Or that Hamas uses innocent women as human shields, that they call jihad an obligation, inciting violence. And that list goes on. And maybe worst of all, this resolution completely fails to mention that Israel has made repeated attempts to offer peace proposals to the Palestinian Authority. After the Camp David talks in 2000, Israel offered to withdraw from 90 percent of Judea and Samaria, parts of East Jerusalem and Gaza. That same year, though, the Palestinians started the Second Intifada, and more than 1,000 innocent Israeli civilians were killed in a Palestinian campaign of suicide bombings and shootings. In 2008, Israel offered to withdraw from 93 percent of Judea and Samaria, but time and again, the Palestinian Authority rejected peace proposals while continuing to refuse to this day, both publicly and privately, to accept Israel as a Jewish state. In this vein, the Palestinian Authority continues to incite violence and financially rewards terrorism through its Pay for Slay program, which included the murder of an American, United States military academy graduate, Army veteran Taylor Force. Yet, House Democrats added language to this resolution at the last minute to support the Palestinians, despite the fact that the Palestinian Authority refuses to suspend this Pay for Slay program to this day. This resolution imposes a solution for Israel, stating specific Palestinian Authority demands and deliberately leaving out critical Israeli preconditions necessary to maintain security. If you are going to engage in naming specific preconditions like the way this resolution puts those preconditions on Israel, the Palestinian Authority demands, well then try to balance it all out, but this resolution doesn't even make any reference to Palestinian terrorism. It is silent about providing assurances for Israel's safety and security through a demilitarized zone, but that didn't stop the resolution's authors from including Palestinian demands of Israel. The timing of this vote is no coincidence either. This resolution, by the authors' own admission, is a clear rebuke to the Trump administration's recent reversal of the Obama administration's targeting of Israel with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334. The timing is no coincidence. The resolution references President Obama's policy toward Israel after the November 2016 election, but does not mention the Trump administration's efforts. One of the worst lines in this resolution references support for ``the principles set forth by President Obama in December 2016.'' After the Obama administration abstained from U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, the House, along with many of my Democratic colleagues here today, voted in favor of a resolution to forcefully condemn U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334. This resolution, H. Res. 326, is a reversal on that point, pointing to that December 2016 moment in time as if it was something that should be applauded. This resolution chooses to reference President Obama's policy while intentionally leaving out the Trump administration's policy, ensuring a partisan outcome to this resolution. The resolution doesn't mention the long list of victories that we have had in this administration to strengthen our support and security and stability of Israel, to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, like moving our embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, to signing the Taylor Force Act, and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. This partisan resolution creates a totally unnecessary schism in what has otherwise been a longstanding history of strong, bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel relationship, which included the resolution that passed last summer. There are other great bipartisan bills that support Israel and fight anti-Semitism at home. We should be spending our time debating and passing bills like S. 1 and H.R. 336 sponsored by Michael McCaul, the Never Again Education Act or the Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act. The House already passed, almost unanimously, that resolution, H. Res. 246, last summer that opposed BDS and supported peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Now, we are bringing a watered-down, partisan, and weakened version of what has already passed in the House. House Democrats should bring bipartisan legislation forward with teeth that will support Israel and fight the BDS movement. But rather than move forward and build on our longstanding history of bipartisan support of the U.S.-Israeli alliance, House Democrats have decided to play partisan politics with what is a powder keg. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Arizona for yielding me time and for her strong opposition to this rule. Let's be clear, H. Res. 326 is a one-sided, partisan, and ill-timed resolution. This past summer, Members of this Chamber came to the floor and passed, almost unanimously, a very strong statement opposing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, as well as much of the language that is in this resolution, H. Res. 326. This is actually a watered-down version of what we passed last summer. There is nothing in this resolution that we didn't already pass almost unanimously last summer. So, what happened? We woke up the day after that resolution passed last summer, and the Republicans wanted to pass legislation with teeth. I know that we have a lot of strong, bipartisan support for passing legislation with teeth, S.1/H.R. 336, legislation that already passed the Senate with almost 80 votes. But, unfortunately, for some of my colleagues, they woke up the next day and instead of wanting to pass legislation with teeth that would do something about it, do something about that strong statement that we made, we have been seeing this resolution passed as the main effort for the second half of this year. In the last 2 years, Israel has been hit by over 2,600 rockets and mortars, and 1,500 of those rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel in the past year alone. Last week, every headline in the region was about Israel being bombarded with over 450 rockets, and that was just one moment in time. This resolution fails to not only recognize these latest attacks but all the persistent assaults on innocent Israelis by Palestinian terrorists. Notice this resolution is reprimanding Israel, but it says nothing about Palestinian terrorists. My friend on the other side of the aisle, when he was giving his opening remarks, was reprimanding Israel and didn't say anything about Palestinian terrorists murdering innocent Israelis; nothing about the pay-to-slay program where the Palestinians financially reward terrorism and incite violence; nothing about Hamas denying humanitarian aid, calling jihad an obligation, and saying that they do not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. This reality is lost in this resolution. This resolution completely fails to mention that Israel has made repeated attempts to offer peace proposals to the Palestinian Authority. Time and again, the Palestinian Authority has rejected peace proposals because they refuse publicly and privately to accept a Jewish state in Israel. This resolution is silent on fundamental facts that shape the way Israel has dealt with this constant threat on its border. This resolution chooses to reference President Obama's policy toward Israel while intentionally leaving out President Trump's policy, ensuring a partisan outcome for this resolution. Support for Israel in this Chamber has long been bipartisan. For whatever reason, the majority is choosing to advance in the resolution tomorrow that is going to have one of the most partisan votes to ever take place regarding Israel in the history of the House of Representatives. Congratulations. H. Res. 326 undercuts the administration's efforts to strengthen our critical alliance with our greatest ally, Israel, and the timing of this vote is fooling no one. This resolution is a clear rebuke to the Trump administration's recent reversal of the Obama administration's targeting of Israel with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334. If House Democrats want to pass bipartisan legislation with teeth, they should bring S.1/H.R. 336, which has already passed the Senate, as I mentioned, with strong, bipartisan support and was introduced by Congressman Michael McCaul in the House. There is even a discharge petition led by Congressman Brian Mast for this bill that has almost 200 signatures on it. If it came to a vote in this Chamber, it would pass. How about we focus on passing legislation that gets through the House? It has already been through the Senate. It will be signed by the President. We will be doing something about that strong statement that we made last summer. I urge all of my colleagues to vote against this rule and against this partisan resolution.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their passionate advocacy on behalf of this important issue. Listening to my colleague, Gregory Meeks, I will remind everyone, as he heads toward the back of the Chamber, I represent the greatest congressional district in New York, the First Congressional District of New York. We as New Yorkers, but really all of us in this Chamber as Americans, Republicans and Democrats, have worked together and need to continue to work together. Ranking Member McHenry has had a great open door for Republicans, to hear our feedback and concerns on this important issue, to make sure there is not a lapse. Mr. Speaker, I am rising in support of H.R. 4634, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2019, which builds on our continued efforts to keep our promise to the victims of terrorism through the Never Forget the Heroes Act, which was signed into law earlier this year. The U.S. continues to face one of the most challenging threat environments, and terrorists will try to find any way to instill fear and destroy the American values and way of life that we hold dear, love, and cherish. For the terrorists, their efforts include destabilizing our financial markets and economy. We must combat terrorism through every means possible. The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act is a critical insurance backstop that provides important protections for construction jobs, venues, and regional economies across America in the event of a catastrophic terrorist attack. Failure to reauthorize this program could cause major market disruption, which is why I am proud to cosponsor this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill to bolster both our national and economic security. I rise not just as a New Yorker but with my colleagues together as Americans. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and the ranking member for bringing this bill to the floor.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Army Specialist 4th Class John W. Odierno of Farmingdale, New York. Even at a young age, Specialist Odierno was compelled to defend others, protecting his family, friends and even his little brother in the school yard. However, when Specialist Odierno was drafted during the Vietnam War, his call to defend others transitioned from the schoolyard to the battlefield. On March 21 , 1967, while serving as squad leader during a search and destroy mission in the central highlands of Kon Tum Province, Specialist Odierno and his company were met with intense machine gun and rifle fire from an entrenched North Vietnamese battalion. Specialist Odierno and his company found themselves trapped and outnumbered. Despite being wounded, Specialist Odierno defended his position for twenty minutes, allowing his fellow soldiers to reload their weapons. While this action saved the lives of many soldiers, it cost Specialist Odierno his own. At only twenty years old; Specialist Odierno made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of his fellow soldiers and our great nation, but his spirit and grit did not fall on the battlefield that day. The men who witnessed his heroic actions continue to tell the story of selflessness and bravery, including Lieutenant Toby Alvaro, who believes Specialist Odierno should not only have received the Silver Star, but the Medal of Honor for his actions. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Specialist Odierno's service and sacrifice, ensuring that when a servicemember falls in defense of our great country, our entire nation stands in honor.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers and am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this important resolution. For those in Serbia listening to today's floor debate, it is an important lesson that, 20 years later, we have not forgotten. We will not forget. We will continue to strongly encourage them to do the right thing. This issue is not going away if they wish it away. On a bipartisan basis, we will continue to advocate to fight this injustice. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 32. I wish to start off by thanking the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel for his long-time passion and advocacy on this very important issue for my district, as well as Grace Meng, who also has been supportive. This execution-style murder of Ylli, 25 years old, Agron, 23 years old, and Mehmet Bytyqi, 21 years old, has greatly impacted my own district. These were three brothers born in the United States who resided in Hampton Bays, New York. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Bytyqi brothers' murder. In July 1999, these three brothers went overseas toward the end of the Kosovo war and were arrested by Serbian authorities for illegally entering the country when they accidentally crossed into Serbian- controlled territory. The brothers were kidnapped, murdered, and dumped into a mass grave in Serbia by government officials still serving today. Since taking office, I have been committed to helping the Bytyqi family receive the justice they have long deserved. In February, Chairman Engel and I traveled to Munich to meet with Serbian President Vucic, where he once again promised to resolve the case of the Bytyqi brothers. Despite many promises by Serbian officials to resolve the case of this state-sponsored murder, there has been no justice served. This resolution notes that progress with this investigation should remain a significant factor that determines the further developments of U.S.-Serbian relations. The Bytyqi brothers gave their lives to fight injustice. Now, we must return this favor and deliver justice for their family. Mr. Speaker, I again thank Chairman Engel and lead Republican McCaul for their leadership and assistance on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) for yielding and for hosting this Special Order hour. Really, much of Congresswoman Maloney's career here and legacy of service in the House of Representatives, while focused passionately on a lot of other issues that are very important, certainly is one that is filled with much success in advocating on behalf of the New York community and for first responders all across America for important priorities post-9/11. So I thank her for all of her leadership, because a lot of that benefits my constituents as well on the East End, but, really, for all of us as Americans. As we are here right now, all across New York, across my district, across our country, people are gathering, men and women who remember exactly where they were and how they felt, what they saw, what they heard, and also, kids who weren't even born yet, learning for the first time those stories of what was experienced on September 11, 2001. We often talk about our Nation's Greatest Generation. I was at Army Reserve duty this past weekend, and I was talking to one officer who said that his life--not just his military career, but his life--is broken up into two parts: There was the part of his life until September 11, 2001, and the part of his life after September 11, 2001. It is a challenge for that generation serving post-9/11 to try to fill the shoes of our Nation's Greatest Generation, those who have served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, peacetime, wartime, many great Americans through generations. It is so important for us to honor and remember the victims of September 11, 2001, to honor and remember those with courage who ran up while other people were running down, who ran toward danger, ignoring orders to go in the opposite direction at the ultimate risk of their own life. And also, it is important for us to honor all of the men and women who have served in our Nation's military. Think of that man or that woman that next morning who had a successful career, a stable family, and they went to their local recruiter's office to sign up to serve and, ultimately, gave their life in that cause. There has been so much sacrifice since 9/11. As we gather together on this 18th anniversary here in the House Chamber, this morning starting with a moment of silence and a singing of ``God Bless America,'' when we say ``never forget,'' we have to ensure that every single day that we are honoring the legacy of all those lives cut short too soon, that we are paying tribute to those first responders with an enormous amount of courage, and that we are honoring those men and women who still serve to this day, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, our Gold Star families, our Blue Star families, past, present, and future. As that lieutenant colonel told me this past weekend, for him, where he separated his life into service before 9/11 and service after, life before 9/11 and life after, know that right now we have men and women who are overseas who were 1 year old or 2 years old and their entire life have only known the post-9/11 reality, and yet they want nothing else but service. So I think this 18th anniversary is not just about what happened on that day and the days and the weeks and the months that followed, but it is also about where we are today. Finally, I would say this: While we talk about the lives that were lost that day, there is an important lesson with the justice that was served to follow, for anyone who seeks to break down this country, to tear apart what binds us together as Americans, the ultimate justice will be delivered to them abroad, because America is strong. New Yorkers are strong, but as Americans, we will come together; we will unite; we will fight to protect our freedoms and our liberties. And it is not about Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal; it is about us as Members of this body and as Americans outside of this body to unite for a cause so much greater than ourselves, the greatest Nation in the world. Mr. Speaker, I again thank Mrs. Maloney for her leadership through the years to ensure that, in so many ways, our first responders, families, victims are all being fought for successfully in the Halls of this great Chamber, and all of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have assisted Mrs. Maloney in her important efforts. I thank the gentlewoman for hosting today's Special Order hour.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman who just spoke for expressing his gratitude and his celebration for what passed earlier this week and I appreciate his support for what passed earlier this week. I would actually suggest that doing something about that statement that we made is not minimizing the statement that we made, it is actually maximizing the statement that we made. We are minimizing the statement that we made if we wake up the next day and decide that we are not going to do anything about it by passing a bill with teeth. Again, I would ask anyone who has an answer to this question, when can we have a vote on S. 1 and H.R. 336? It is a simple question. I don't have the answer to it, but if anyone can answer that for us, it would really help those who genuinely, sincerely, passionately believe in this legislation. I know from my conversations with colleagues on the opposite side of the aisle, I know of a number of colleagues who would enthusiastically vote for S. 1/H.R. 336. And I know of friends, colleagues on the other side of the aisle who have asked for a vote on S. 1/H.R. 336. Mr. Speaker, now would be a good opportunity, I don't want to put the gentleman on the spot, but if anybody can answer that question, we are very interested in having a vote scheduled on this bill. Let's maximize the statement that we made by adding that. It will pass and it will go to the President and it will be signed into law, and we will celebrate not only a strong statement made, but maximizing that strong statement made by doing something about it and passing a bill with teeth.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule and urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question so the House may take up H.R. 336, a bipartisan legislative package that would help fight back against the BDS movement, protect U.S. security in the Middle East by strengthening our alliances with Israel and Jordan, and sanction nefarious actors like Assad. The Senate version of this bill, S. 1, passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority of 77-23. Surprisingly, the major point of contention for this package is the Combating BDS Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill that garnered over 100 cosponsors last Congress and would help combat the BDS movement. It is okay to have reasonable, legitimate concerns with any government in the world, including our own, but this hate-filled movement is not all about affirming the rights of Palestinians, as some suggest. It is about delegitimizing Israel by turning it into a pariah state cut off from all trade, tourism, military, diplomatic, and cultural ties with the rest of the world. BDS, whose founder was blatantly anti-Semitic, amounts to a declaration of economic war against Israel, with a goal of destroying it as the only Jewish state on Earth. I hear of college students all across our entire country who share very personal testimonials of how they are being targeted by blatant anti-Semitism in the name of BDS. Thankfully, this week, the House passed H. Res. 246, a resolution to forcefully condemn the BDS movement. Making a strong statement is great and should be celebrated, but we should wake up the next morning asking ourselves, challenging each other to what we can do about it. S. 1 has already passed the Senate, but it is not being brought up in this House, despite nearly 200 Members signing the discharge petition and over 100 cosponsors last Congress. This bill does not impede the right of any individual American to boycott or criticize Israel, as some suggest. Instead, H.R. 336 would combat the BDS movement by simply allowing State and local governments to have the right to counter the BDS movement by ending contracts with companies that boycott Israel, if they so choose, while protecting U.S. security in the Middle East. There were 350 cosponsors on the statement that was made earlier this week. There were nearly 400 votes on the House floor. Republicans and Democrats worked together through a process, from drafting the legislation to getting the bill marked up at committee, to passing on the House floor, and we should celebrate making a great statement. Now we should be passing a bill with teeth. We could do it right now. If this bill gets added to the voting before we leave here this week, I guarantee it passes. So not only did we, earlier this week, make a strong statement to combat the anti-Israel, anti-Semitic BDS movement, but we woke up the next day motivated to actually challenge ourselves to do something about it, and we got it done. The one thing that is concerning is that we keep asking for a vote on H.R. 336, and we are not getting an answer in response as to why it is not coming up for a vote or when it will come up for a vote. I would challenge anyone who has an answer to this question to please let us know, because we don't know what else to do other than bringing up today's proposal, for example. But if this is something that has already passed the Senate with a strong bipartisan majority, it is the right thing to do. We have almost unanimously condemned the BDS movement, and we are here on the House floor together with a bill that would pass, strongly? Let's get it done. Let's get it done right now. There are a lot of people who would celebrate that big win.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H. Res. 246. This is a bipartisan resolution I introduced with Brad Schneider, Jerry Nadler, and Ann Wagner to oppose BDS and efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel, which is now up to 350 cosponsors. We must combat the BDS movement targeting our great ally in the Middle East. The BDS movement seeks to harm Israel today, tomorrow, and well into the future. It is an American value to be able to express legitimate, reasonable criticism of any government in the world, including our own. The BDS movement, though, is different, and we must reject the blatant anti- Semitism injected throughout BDS and the delegitimizing of Israel. We must educate and all be aware of the toxic, anti-Semitic words of the founder of BDS and how we have so many Jewish students on college campuses right here in the United States from coast to coast targeted with blatant anti-Semitism in the name of BDS. Congress needs to make a very strong, bipartisan statement against BDS, and this resolution does just that. In addition, we should also enact legislation with teeth. In February, the Senate passed anti-BDS legislation, S. 1, with a strong, bipartisan vote. This bill allows State and local governments to adopt laws to divest public funds from entities that boycott Israel. Lead Republican McCaul already has a bill in the House, H.R. 336, that is identical to S. 1 and contains the anti-BDS legislation. I strongly encourage the Speaker to bring this bill to the floor as well so that not only are we making a strong statement, but we are also doing something about it. I am grateful to House leadership for bringing H. Res. 246 to the floor today, for Chairman Engel's work and his team's work in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and to lead Republican McCaul and his team. Mr. Speaker, this is a big deal. I am honored to work with you on this important effort, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is a senior member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the esteemed Republican whip.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, it is important to note, really, from coast to coast, we are hearing stories of students on college campuses, in the name of BDS, being targeted with blatant anti-Semitism. For example, at New York University, after the student government passed a resolution supporting BDS, the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life was temporarily closed in response to threatening Twitter posts by a student who expressed ``a desire for Zionists to die.'' A University of Michigan professor refused to write a letter of recommendation for a qualified student solely because she wanted to study abroad in Israel. A Students for Justice in Palestine cofounder and University of California, Berkeley, professor spoke at a national conference and shared the anti-Semitism meme of an Orthodox Jewish person in his presentation. At Warren Wilson College, an invited speaker stated: ``Jews are doing the same thing to the Palestinians as the Nazis did to the Jews.'' A Yik Yak posting at the University of California read: ``Gas them, burn them, and dismantle their power structure. Humanity cannot progress with the parasitic Jew.'' More globally, University of Durban in South Africa called for the expulsion of Jewish students who did not support the BDS movement at the university. It is really important for people who may just be getting familiar with what BDS is to know that, right now, we have so many Jewish students who are being targeted with this blatant anti-Semitism, and that is why today's statement sends such a powerful message. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, some supporters of the BDS movement--in fact, the movement, in total, makes the argument that Israel is the bad guy on humanitarian issues, on human rights. It is important to note, Israel has a long history of LGBT protections and women's rights enshrined in Israeli law that is in stark contrast to its Middle East neighbors. Regardless of ethnicity or religion, there are broad freedoms in Israel, including the right to vote, freedom of speech, equal access to education and the workplace, and no special restrictions on the way women dress. By law, women are protected from discrimination. In fact, Israel's declaration of independence grants all Israel's inhabitants equality of social and political rights, irrespective of religion, race, or gender. Even Palestinians in the autonomous regions have voting rights and receive social services. Under Israeli jurisdiction, some 350,000 Palestinian residents in Jerusalem receive certain civilian welfare, health, and municipal services. In other parts of the Middle East, it is a monarchy with no voting rights whatsoever. Hamas has repeatedly denied humanitarian aid offered by Israel. In May 2018, when there were clashes on the border, Gaza refused two truckloads of aid from Israel to relieve medical shortages. There are so many falsehoods that have been perpetrated by supporters of the BDS movement, and that is, again, another reason why today's resolution is such a powerful statement. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Suozzi just pointed out one quote. Earlier, we heard another quote from the BDS founder. I will share one more. He also stated--and this is the founder of the BDS movement: ``Many of the methods of collective and individual `punishment' meted out to Palestinian civilians at the hands of young, racist, often sadistic and ever impervious Israeli soldiers . . . are reminiscent of the common Nazi practices against the Jews.'' The list goes on and on. As people out there are listening to this debate, becoming familiar with what the BDS movement is, just understand and take heed of the words from the BDS movement founder, Omar Barghouti. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. BDS supporters also claim that the BDS movement is nonviolent. The BDS movement does not distance itself from Hamas, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. BDS supporters, individually, are not distancing themselves from Hamas either. Instead, their criticism is focused on attacking Israel and, in many cases, the Jewish people specifically. Two Fridays ago, Fathi Hammad, a senior Hamas official, called upon Palestinians worldwide: ``Our brothers'' in the diaspora ``are still preparing. They are trying to prepare. They are warming up. A long time has passed with them warming up. All of you 7 million Palestinians abroad, enough of the warming up. You have Jews everywhere, and we must attack every Jew on the globe by way of slaughter and killing, if God permits. Enough of the warming up.'' Where are all the supporters of BDS condemning these remarks? This is two Fridays ago, calling for the murder of every Jew in the world. During a closed meeting in October 2017 between Hamas chief Sinwar and Gazan youth about reconciling with the Fatah movement, Sinwar stated that the time spent discussing recognition of Israel is over and that now Hamas will, instead, discuss when they will wipe out Israel. Hamas uses women and children as human shields. They deny humanitarian aid to their own people. They incite violence. They have launched rockets into Israel, killing innocent civilians. They have declared that jihad is an obligation. That list goes on. The Palestinian Authority, not only do they incite violence, but they financially reward terror, by policy. If you kill an Israeli or an American, you get called a martyr. You will have streets and football stadiums renamed after you. You and your family will get paid money. There are existential threats all around Israel. To the north, with Hezbollah, another designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, they have built terror tunnels. They have amassed tens of thousands of rockets on the border between Lebanon and Israel. Every year, Hamas mobilizes Palestinians in their Days of Rage to attack Israelis at the border, calling on people to throw rocks and fire missiles at Israel, which often result in actual violence, including death, targeting innocent civilians. This past May, Hamas fired approximately 700 rockets into Israel, killing innocent civilians. Hamas has used incendiary kites and balloons, which have destroyed some 8,000 acres of Israeli farms, parks, and forests. Earlier this year, Hamas carried out the Salift operation, sending out operatives to murder Israelis, including Rabbi Achiad Ettinger, a father of 12. Where are all the BDS supporters in the United States, on college campuses, people who are involved in American politics, those who are at the United Nations, those who are abroad? Where is their voice right now? If everything that they say about their cause is legitimate and reasonable, that their concern is one that the entire world should be taking heed of and caution to, where is their voice condemning all the actual violence right now of Palestinian terrorists murdering innocent Israelis and, in some cases, Americans? Taylor Force--the Taylor Force Act that this Chamber passed and was signed into law--he was a United States Military Academy graduate, an Army veteran, a United States Army veteran, who was killed. The PA pays those terrorists and their families to commit those terrorist acts. We are here in this Chamber to call that out for exactly what it is, in bipartisan fashion. I appreciate Chairman Engel's work at the Foreign Affairs Committee. I see Chairman Deutch is still here, along with many other voices around this Capitol who believe strongly in this effort on the other side of the aisle. We need to work together to combat the BDS movement. This is an important next step. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?