While the President was meeting at his Texas ranch with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah last week, the Administration was able to convince Congressional leadership to postpone acting on resolutions "expressing solidarity with Israel in its fight against terrorism." But this week, those resolutions moved fast with votes on Thursday in both the House and Senate. The Senate vote was 94 to 2. The House voted 352 yeas, 21 noes, and 29 voting present.  Even though these resolutions are non-binding, meaning they are symbolic and not law, they clearly undermine Middle East diplomatic efforts.  The House resolution, H.Res. 392 was sponsored by Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) and the Senate version, S. Res. 247 was sponsored by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT).

The DeLay and Lieberman resolutions passed on May 2, though symbolic, do signal a Congressional readiness to provide additional military aid to Israel.  Rep. DeLay's resolution, H. Res. 392, states that the House of Representatives "remains committed to Israel's self-defense and supports additional United States assistance to help Israel defend itself."  Sen. Lieberman’s resolution notes that the U.S. is "committed to provide resources to states on the frontline in the war against terrorism," and resolves that the Senate "will continue to assist Israel in strengthening its homeland defenses."

$200 million in additional military assistance to Israel was included by the State Department in the emergency supplemental spending bill. This was a follow-up of an unfulfilled promise by President Clinton to give Israel a bonus of $800 million for its withdrawal from Lebanon.  But the White House budget office deleted this $200 million for Israel from the supplemental bill in March, citing the fact that Israel already receives $2.79 billion per year in foreign assistance (economic and military aid), and through the Department of Defense, support for the Arrow missile defense program.

When Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage testified before the House Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee on April 18, he was asked by Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) if he would oppose an effort by Congress to offer an amendment to provide this funding for Israel.  Armitage replied, "No, of course we will not oppose supplemental funding for Israel," but asked that it be an addition and not taken from funds earmarked in the bill for others.   

There are other Congressional initiatives out there that have legislative teeth and are more than symbolic. The resolutions and bills with listings of sponsors and votes can be researched on the Library of Congress website: http://thomas.loc.gov

Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced S. 2194 on April 18.  The McConnell-Feinstein bill requires the President to impose sanctions, chosen from a list provided in the bill, against the PLO and PA. This bill and the following bill will be subjects of guidance messages in the coming days.  

House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) introduced on April 18 a bill, H.R. 4483, that would impose sanctions on Syria.  Known as the Engel bill, an identical bill S. 2215 was introduced in the Senate by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rick Santorum (R-PA).  

ACTION:  
Call your Members of Congress in Washington DC or at home. The House switchboard is 202.225.3121; Senate switchboard is 202.224.3121. Calls to their state or district office may be even more effective.

Talk to the legislative assistant who works on foreign aid or foreign policy if possible.  If not, talk with the receptionist or leave a message on the legislative assistant’s voicemail. Your comments should be brief and focused.  

Check the vote results at the end of this message. Depending upon whether you’re calling your Representative or Senator, say that you are alarmed to learn about Rep. DeLay's resolution or Sen. Lieberman's resolution "expressing solidarity with Israel in its fight against terrorism."

If your Member voted no or present, express warm appreciation for his/her recognition that a more balanced approach is needed for Israeli-Palestinian peace making. Ask that he/she oppose efforts to provide additional military aid to Israel in the emergency supplemental bill or by other legislation. Even if your Member did not vote on the resolution, call asking that he/she oppose the additional military aid.  

If your Representative or Senator voted yes, say you are disappointed. This resolution undermines the President and Secretary of State in their diplomatic effort to seek a comprehensive peace agreement. Disapprove of the resolution's support for additional military aid to Israel and ask that those funds not be provided by Congress in the emergency supplemental bill or in other legislation. You might add that Israel's military siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem should not be rewarded by praise or additional military aid.  

SENATE VOTE RESULTS

NOES: Byrd, Hollings NOT VOTING: Bennett, Bunning, Helms, Torricelli

HOUSE VOTE RESULTS

NOES 21
Abercrombie, Bonior, Boucher, Condit, Conyers, DeFazio, Dingell , Hilliard, Inslee, Jackson (IL), Kleczka, Lee, McKinney, Miller (George), Obey, Paul, Petri, Rahall, Rohrbacher, Smith (MI), Stark.

PRESENTS 29
Baldwin, Barr, Becerra, Bishop, Brown (OH), Capuano, Clayton, Farr, Hostettler, Jones (OH), Kaptur, Kilpatrick, Kind (WI), Kucinich, McDermott, Mink, Mollahan, Moran (VA), Oberstar, Payne, Peterson (MN), Rivers, Sabo, Sanders, Solis, Thompson (CA), Thurman, Watt (NC), Woolsey.

NOT VOTING 32
Bereuter, Bilrakis, Brown (FL), Burton, Callahan, Cannon, Cantor, Cooksey, Crane, Dooley, Everett, Fattah, Hoekstra, Hooley, Istook, Jefferson, Jenkins, John, McHugh, Millender-McDonald, Murtha, Oxley, Riley, Ros-Lehtinen, Roukema, Stenholm, Sullivan, Taylor (NC), Thompson (MS), Traficant, Wamp, Young (FL) .