Scoop: House committee heads prepare bipartisan pro-Israel measure
Andrew Solender
The chair and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, are preparing a bipartisan resolution affirming U.S. support for Israel and condemning Hamas' attacks on the country, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said in a statement he expects the measure "to be one of the first, if not the first items considered on the floor once we elect a new Speaker."
Lawmakers have expressed concerns that the House's inability to conduct business in the absence of a permanent speaker has made them impotent at a watershed foreign policy moment.
Driving the news: The resolution, a draft copy of which was obtained by Axios, affirms the U.S.'s "commitment to Israel's security, including through security assistance" and calls for "full enforcement" of sanctions on Iran.
It also condemns "Iran's support for terrorist groups and proxies, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad" and calls on all countries to "unequivocally condemn Hamas' brutal war."
The measure is being led by McCaul and Ranking Member Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.) and is being circulated to members of the Foreign Affairs Committee for co-sponsors.
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https://www.axios.com/2023/10/08/house-resolution-israel-hamas-iran
