[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5126 Introduced in House (IH)]
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115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5126
To authorize assistance for procurement of missile defense systems for
Israel, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2018
Mrs. Murphy of Florida (for herself and Mr. Mast) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize assistance for procurement of missile defense systems for
Israel, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Deterring and Defeating Rocket and
Missile Threats to Israel Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Israel is surrounded by adversaries. Threats to Israel
emanate from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the north, from the
Iranian-supported regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria to the
northeast, from Hamas in the Gaza Strip to the south, and from
Iran to the east. Each of these state and non-state actors
possess an arsenal of rockets or missiles that could be used to
target Israel.
(2) Iran possesses the largest and most diverse missile
arsenal in the Middle East, with thousands of medium-range
ballistic and cruise missiles capable of striking Israel.
(3) While Syria has used much of its ballistic missile
inventory during its nearly seven-year civil war, it still
maintains a robust arsenal of short-range ballistic missiles
capable of striking Israel.
(4) Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza possess almost
12,000 rockets that threaten southern Israel.
(5) Hezbollah, an entity designated as a terrorist
organization by the Department of State and the European Union,
continues to procure rockets to deploy against Israel in
violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701
(2006).
(6) According to open source reporting, Hezbollah has
developed an arsenal of between 100,000 and 150,000 rockets,
and is seeking to develop an indigenous rocket production
capability.
(7) In total, there are thousands of missiles and 230,000
rockets aimed at Israel. In 2016, the Israeli military
estimated that, in the event of a conflict in which rockets and
missiles were fired at Israel from all directions, between 250
and 400 civilians would likely be killed in the conflict,
including dozens in the Tel Aviv area. Hezbollah alone could
launch 1,200 rockets each day, a barrage that would overwhelm
Israel's missile defense capabilities.
(8) The 2016 Memorandum of Understanding Between the United
States and Israel (relating to security assistance for fiscal
years 2019 through 2028) committed the United States to provide
$500 million annually to support Israel's missile defense
programs.
(9) The 2016 Memorandum of Understanding further states
that ``both sides jointly commit to respect the missile defense
funding levels specified in this MOU'' and that Israel may seek
additional support in ``exceptional circumstances as may be
jointly agreed by the U.S. administration and Israel''.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States stands behind Israel in its quest for
peace and security;
(2) the United States should support Israel's efforts to
defend itself against its adversaries, including by
facilitating the procurement of missile defense systems
critical to the protection of Israel's population; and
(3) there are currently an insufficient number of missile
defense systems and interceptors to address the full scope of
Israel's self-defense requirements in light of the rocket and
missile threat to Israel.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF ASSISTANCE FOR PROCUREMENT OF MISSILE DEFENSE
SYSTEMS FOR ISRAEL.
(a) In General.--The President, acting through the Secretary of
Defense and the Secretary of State, is authorized to provide
assistance, upon request of the Government of Israel and for jointly
agreed upon exceptional circumstances, to the Government of Israel for
the procurement of missile defense systems, including the Iron Dome,
David Sling, and Arrow systems, additional interceptors for those
systems or any future missile defense systems, and missile defense
development.
(b) Rule of Construction.--Any assistance provided under the
authority of subsection (a) is in addition to any assistance provided
under the authority specified in the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding
Between the United States and Israel.
(c) Limitation.--The authority specified in subsection (a) shall be
exclusively for the purpose of enhancing Israeli missile defense,
consistent with the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding Between the United
States and Israel, to address mutually agreed-upon exceptional
circumstances.
(d) Report.--Not later than 10 days after the date on which the
United States Government receives a request from the Government of
Israel as described in subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense, with
the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall submit to Congress a
report that contains the following:
(1) A written copy of the request from the Government of
Israel.
(2) An assessment of the request from the Government of
Israel.
(3) The urgent nature of the rocket and missile threat to
Israel and a description of potential attacks against Israel
which would justify exceeding the annual amount of United
States assistance to support Israel's missile defense programs
under the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding Between the United
States and Israel.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the President such sums as may be necessary to carry out this
section.
(2) Replenishment.--If amounts made available for the
Missile Defense Agency are used to carry out this section for a
fiscal year, the President shall replenish such amounts for the
Missile Defense Agency for the subsequent fiscal year from
amounts made available pursuant to the authorization of
appropriations under paragraph (1) for such subsequent fiscal
year.
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