I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7633 

To provide authority to enhance security assistance with countries that are 

engaged in regional security cooperation efforts in the Middle East and 

North Africa, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 12, 2024 

Mr. JAMES (for himself and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To provide authority to enhance security assistance with 

countries that are engaged in regional security cooperation efforts in the Middle East and North Africa, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Enhance Cooperation 

5 Against Terrorism Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO ENHANCE SECURITY ASSISTANCE 

2 WITH COUNTRIES THAT ARE ENGAGED IN RE3 GIONAL SECURITY COOPERATION EFFORTS 

4 IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. 

5 (a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 

6 United States to work with allies and partners to safe7 guard freedom of navigation, protect critical infrastruc8 ture, uphold basic principles of international law, and pro9 tect United States citizens from threats posed by Iran and 

10 Iran-aligned entities in the Middle East and North Africa. 

11 (b) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of State shall— 

12 (1) identify countries that— 

13 (A) have normalized diplomatic relations 

14 with the State of Israel; and 

15 (B) are engaged in regional security co16 operation efforts in the Middle East and North 

17 Africa to combat threats posed by Iran and 

18 Iran-aligned entities; and 

19 (2) in order to meet the policy described in sub20 section (a), provide approval for the sale or lease, a 

21 license or other approval for the export, or the trans22 fer of defense articles or defense services to coun23 tries identified by the Secretary under paragraph (1) 

24 in accordance with the expedited approval provisions 

25 of subsection (c). 


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1 (c) EXPEDITED APPROVAL PROVISIONS.—In the case 

2 of a sale or lease of defense articles or defense services 

3 under section 3, 21, or 36 of the Arms Export Control 

4 Act (22 U.S.C. 2753, 2761, or 2776) to a country identi5 fied by the Secretary of State under subsection (b)(1), a 

6 license or other approval under section 38 of such Act (22 

7 U.S.C. 2778) for the export of defense articles or defense 

8 services to such a country (or of a commercial agreement 

9 that involves the manufacture in such a country of any 

10 item of significant combat equipment on the United States 

11 Munitions List in accordance with section 36(d) of such 

12 Act (22 U.S.C. 2776(d))), or a transfer of excess defense 

13 articles under section 516(c)(2) of the Foreign Assistance 

14 Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321j(c)(2)) to such a country, 

15 the President shall— 

16 (1) notwithstanding the time limitations de17 scribed in any of such sections, submit to Congress 

18 a certification described in such sections, at least 15 

19 calendar days before sale, lease, license or other ap20 proval, or transfer of the defense articles or defense 

21 services is approved; and 

22 (2) include in the certification— 

23 (A) information on why the provision of 

24 such defense articles or services is related to or 


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1 in furtherance of the policy described in sub2 section (a); and 

3 (B) a summary of steps taken by the 

4 United States Government to ensure that any 

5 sensitive United States technology, information, 

6 or capabilities that may be provided to such a 

7 country by reason of the provision of such de8 fense articles or services are not acquired by— 

9 (i) the People’s Republic of China or 

10 any entity owned or controlled by the Peo11 ple’s Republic of China; or 

12 (ii) the Russian Federation or any en13 tity owned or controlled by the Russian 

14 Federation. 

15 (d) STRATEGY.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 

17 the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 60 

18 days thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit 

19 to the appropriate congressional committees, in writ20 ing, a strategy on the implementation of this section. 

21 (2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The strategy 

22 required by this subsection shall include the fol23 lowing: 

24 (A) An overview of the security threats 

25 from Iran and Iran-aligned entities to both the 


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1 United States and the countries identified by 

2 the Secretary of State under subsection (b)(1). 

3 (B) A description and assessment of the 

4 metrics and evaluation procedures used for im5 plementing the policy described in subsection 

6 (a), including recommendations to improve mul7 tilateral cooperation between the United States 

8 and such countries and among such countries. 

9 (C) A description of the challenges to 

10 achieving full interoperability between the 

11 United States and such countries and the im12 pact on progress to address the policy described 

13 in subsection (a), including efforts to address 

14 shared threats posed by Iran and Iran-aligned 

15 entities. 

16 (D) A description of measures to provide 

17 such countries interim capabilities until the 

18 cases described in clauses (i) and (ii) are deliv19 ered. 

20 (E) A description and assessment of— 

21 (i) the status of all pending sales of 

22 defense articles or defense services over 

23 $25,000,000, including Letters of Request 

24 and where applicable Letters of Offer and 

25 Acceptance, beginning 5 years prior to the 


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1 date of the enactment of this Act, to such 

2 countries pursuant to the provisions of law 

3 specified in subsection (c); 

4 (ii) a description of the delivery time5 frames for all pending sales of defense ar6 ticles or defense services over $25,000,000 

7 to such countries pursuant to the provi8 sions of law specified in subsection (c) and 

9 any measures that could be taken to expe10 dite their delivery; and 

11 (iii) recommendations to improve the 

12 process for authorizing the transfer of de13 fense articles and services authorized 

14 under sections 36 and 38 of the Arms Ex15 port Control Act to such countries, includ16 ing as it relates to delivery timeline. 

17 (3) FORM.—The report required by this sub18 section shall be submitted in unclassified form but 

19 may contain a classified annex. 

20 (4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 

21 (A) the term ‘‘appropriate congressional 

22 committees’’ means— 

23 (i) the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

24 of the House of Representatives; and 


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1 (ii) the Committee on Foreign Rela2 tions of the Senate; and 

3 (B) the term ‘‘Iran-aligned entity’’— 

4 (i) includes an entity that— 

5 (I) is controlled or significantly 

6 influenced by the Government of Iran; 

7 and 

8 (II) knowingly receives material 

9 or financial support from the Govern10 ment of Iran; and 

11 (ii) includes— 

12 (I) Hezbollah; 

13 (II) the Houthis; or 

14 (III) any other proxy group that 

15 furthers Iran’s national security objec16 tives. 

Æ 


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