Rep. Ann Wagner’s resolution honoring Israel’s 75th passes. Rep. Cori Bush among 19 voting against
“I am beyond proud that the United States was the first nation to recognize the nascent State of Israel in 1948,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), who was among those who proposed the resolution.
Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Vice Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus.
Published April 26, 2023
(JNS) A resolution, co-sponsored by Missouri Rep. Ann Wagner, honoring Israel on its 75th year passed in the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly on Tuesday evening, after Yom Ha’atzmaut—Israeli Independence Day—had already begun.
“My resolution honors the decades-long partnership between the United States and Israel that underpins security in the Middle East and promotes economic growth throughout the region. The bipartisan passage of this resolution reaffirms our commitment to the people of Israel and promotes vital security assistance so they can defend themselves in the face of an increasingly aggressive Iran,” Rep. Wagner (R-Mo.) in a speech on the House floor.
“We urge other nations to normalize relations with Israel and ensure existing agreements continue to provide necessary economic and national security for those in the area,” added Wagner.
The resolution, which was the subject of a contentious question at Tuesday’s State Department daily press briefing during which a Foggy Bottom spokesman chastised a reporter for commenting rather than posing questions, drew praise from Jewish and pro-Israel organizations.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) applauded the House for “overwhelmingly adopting a resolution recognizing the importance of Israel’s 75th anniversary and expressing support both for strengthening the Abraham Accords and expanding U.S.-Israel cooperation.”
The statement demonstrates that “despite the pulls of the most radical, progressive wing of the Democratic Party, the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship remains overwhelmingly healthy, and that most American members of Congress fully appreciate the profound strength of the U.S.-Israel partnership,” said the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET).
Opposing the bill were Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and 18 Democrats: Reps. Cori Bush (Mo.), Jared Huffman (Calif.), Summer Lee (Pa.), Betty McCollum (Minn.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Mark Pocan (Wisc.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), Chuy Garcia (Ill.), Andre Carson (Ind.), Raul Grijalva (Ariz.), Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.), Hank Johnson (Ga.), Nydia Velazquez (N.Y.), Mark DeSaulnier (Calif.) and Delia Ramirez (Ill.).
The Jewish Light sent two email requests to Rep. Cori Bush’s office and her press secretary for comment on the vote, but we have not received any response.
