[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 383 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 400
114th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 383
Recognizing the importance of the United States-Israel economic
relationship and encouraging new areas of cooperation.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 1, 2016
Mr. Perdue (for himself, Mr. Tester, Mr. Coons, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Rubio,
Mr. Kaine, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Inhofe) submitted
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Relations
March 16, 2016
Reported by Mr. Corker, without amendment
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the importance of the United States-Israel economic
relationship and encouraging new areas of cooperation.
Whereas the deep bond between the United States and Israel is exemplified by its
many facets, including the robust economic and commercial relationship;
Whereas, on April 22, 2015, the United States celebrated the 30th anniversary of
its free trade agreement with Israel, which was the first free trade
agreement entered into by the United States;
Whereas the United States-Israel Free Trade Agreement established the Joint
Committee to facilitate the agreement and collaborate on efforts to
increase bilateral cooperation and investment;
Whereas, since the signing of this agreement, two-way trade has multiplied
tenfold to over $40,000,000,000 annually;
Whereas Israel is the third largest importer of United States goods in the
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region after Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates, despite representing only 2 percent of the
region's population;
Whereas nearly half of all investment in the United States from the MENA region
comes from Israel;
Whereas Israel has more companies listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange than any
other country except for the United States and China;
Whereas, in 1956, the United States-Israel Education Foundation was established
to administer the Fulbright Program in Israel, and has facilitated the
exchange of nearly 3,300 students between the United States and Israel
since its inception;
Whereas, in 1972, the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF)
was established to promote scientific relations between the United
States and Israel by supporting collaborative research projects in basic
and applied scientific fields, and has generated investments of over
$480,000,000 to over 4,000 projects since its inception;
Whereas Binational Science Foundation grant recipients have included 43 Nobel
Laureates, 19 winners of the Albert Lasker Medical Research Award, and
38 recipients of the Wolf Prize;
Whereas, in 1977, the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and
Development Foundation (BIRD) was established to stimulate, promote, and
support non-defense industrial research and development of mutual
benefit to both countries in agriculture, communications, life sciences,
electronics, electro-optics, energy, healthcare information technology,
homeland security, software, water, and other technologies, and has
provided over $300,000,000 to over 700 joint projects since its
inception;
Whereas recent successful BIRD projects include the ReWalk system that helps
paraplegics walk, a medical teaching simulator for Laparoscopic
Hysterectomies, and a new drug to treat chronic gout;
Whereas, in 1978, the United States-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and
Development Fund was established as a competitive funding program for
mutually beneficial, mission-oriented, strategic and applied research of
agricultural problems conducted jointly by United States and Israeli
scientists, and has provided over $250,000,000 to over 1,000 projects
since its inception;
Whereas an independent review of the United States-Israel Binational
Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) estimated that the
dollar benefits of just 10 of its projects through 2010 came to
$440,000,000 in the United States and $300,000,000 in Israel, far
exceeding total investment in the program;
Whereas, in 1984, the United States and Israel began convening the Joint
Economic Development Group (JEDG) to regularly discuss economic
conditions and identify new opportunities for collaboration;
Whereas, in 1994, the United States-Israel Science and Technology Foundation
(USISTF) was established to promote the advancement of science and
technology for mutual economic benefit and has developed joint research
and development programs that reach 12 States;
Whereas the United States-Israel Innovation Index (USI3), which was developed by
USISTF to track and benchmark innovation relationships, ranks the United
States-Israel innovation relationship as top-tier;
Whereas, in 2007, the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and
Development Foundation (BIRD) Energy program was established to provide
support for joint United States-Israel research and development of
renewable energy and energy efficiency, and has provided $18,000,000 to
20 joint projects since its founding;
Whereas, since 2011, the United States Department of Energy and the Israeli
Ministry of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources have
led an annual United States-Israel Energy Meeting with participants
across government agencies to facilitate bilateral cooperation in that
sector;
Whereas, in 2012, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law the
United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 (Public
Law 112-150), which set United States policy to expand bilateral
cooperation across the spectrum of civilian sectors, including high
technology, agriculture, medicine, health, pharmaceuticals, and energy;
Whereas, in 2013, President Obama said in reference to Israel's contribution to
the global economy, ``That innovation is just as important to the
relationship between the United States and Israel as our security
cooperation.'';
Whereas, in 2014, Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew said, ``As one of the most
technologically-advanced and innovative economies in the world, Israel
is an important economic partner to the United States.'';
Whereas the 2014 Global Venture Capital Confidence Survey ranked the United
States and Israel as the two countries with the highest levels of
investor confidence in the world;
Whereas, in 2014, Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the United
States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-296),
which deepened cooperation on energy, water, agriculture, trade, and
defense, and expressed the sense of Congress that Israel is a major
strategic partner of the United States; and
Whereas economic cooperation between the United States and Israel has also
thrived at the State and local levels through both formal agreements and
bilateral organizations in over 30 States that have encouraged new forms
of cooperation in fields such as water conservation, cybersecurity, and
alternative energy and farming technologies: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) affirms that the United States-Israel economic
partnership has achieved great tangible and intangible benefits
to both countries and is a foundational component of the strong
alliance;
(2) recognizes that science and technology innovation
present promising new frontiers for United States-Israel
economic cooperation, particularly in light of widespread
drought, cybersecurity attacks, and other major challenges
impacting the United States;
(3) encourages the President to regularize and expand
existing forums of economic dialogue with Israel and foster
both public and private sector participation; and
(4) expresses support for the President to explore new
agreements with Israel, including in the fields of energy,
water, agriculture, medicine, neurotechnology, and
cybersecurity.
Calendar No. 400
114th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 383
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the importance of the United States-Israel economic
relationship and encouraging new areas of cooperation.
_______________________________________________________________________
March 16, 2016
Reported without amendment