I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4156 

To provide defense and security assistance to ensure the survival of Israel 

and its people from an existing or imminent military threat, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 2, 2019 

Mr. MEADOWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To provide defense and security assistance to ensure the 

survival of Israel and its people from an existing or 

imminent military threat, 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 ‘‘America Stands with 

5 Israel Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO ADDRESS EXISTING OR IMMINENT 

7 MILITARY THREAT TO ISRAEL. 

8 (a) AUTHORITY.—The President, upon request of the 

9 Prime Minister of Israel, is authorized to carry out such 


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1 actions that may be necessary to ensure the survival of 

2 Israel and its people from an existing or imminent military 

3 threat, including threats from other countries, terrorist or4 ganizations, and violent extremist, cyber, and chemical, bi5 ological, and nuclear threats. Any activities carried out 

6 pursuant to such authority shall be conducted in a manner 

7 that appropriately protects the national security interests 

8 of the United States and the national security interests 

9 of Israel. 

10 (b) USE OF FORCE.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out subsection 

12 (a), the President is authorized to use force and in13 troduce United States Armed Forces— 

14 (A) into hostilities or into situations where 

15 imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly in16 dicated by the circumstances; 

17 (B) into the territory, airspace or waters of 

18 a foreign country, while equipped for combat; or 

19 (C) in numbers which substantially enlarge 

20 United States Armed Forces equipped for com21 bat already located in a foreign country. 

22 (2) REPORT.—Not later than 48 hours after ex23 ercising the authority under this subsection, the 

24 President shall submit to the Speaker of the House 


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1 of Representatives and to the President pro tempore 

2 of the Senate a report, in writing, setting forth— 

3 (A) the circumstances necessitating the in4 troduction of United States Armed Forces; 

5 (B) the constitutional and legislative au6 thority under which such introduction took 

7 place; and 

8 (C) the estimated scope and duration of 

9 the hostilities or any other situation described 

10 in paragraph (1). 

11 (c) OTHER INFORMATION TO BE REPORTED.—The 

12 President shall provide such other information as Con13 gress may request in the fulfillment of its constitutional 

14 responsibilities with respect to exercising the authority 

15 under subsection (b). 

16 (d) PERIODIC REPORTS; SEMIANNUAL REQUIRE17 MENT.—Whenever United States Armed Forces are intro18 duced into hostilities or into any other situation described 

19 in subsection (b), the President shall, so long as such 

20 Armed Forces continue to be engaged in such hostilities 

21 or situation, report to Congress periodically on the status 

22 of such hostilities or situation as well as on the scope and 

23 duration of such hostilities or situation, but in no event 

24 shall the President report to Congress less often than once 

25 every six months. 


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1 SEC. 3. WAIVER FOR EXISTING OR IMMINENT MILITARY 

2 THREAT TO ISRAEL. 

3 Section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 

4 U.S.C. 2778) is amended by adding at the end the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘(l) WAIVER FOR EXISTING OR IMMINENT MILITARY

7 THREAT TO ISRAEL.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Upon receiving information 

9 that Israel is under an existing or imminent threat 

10 of military attack, the President may waive the re11 quirements of this Act and direct the immediate 

12 transfer to Israel of such defense articles or services 

13 the President determines to be necessary to assist 

14 Israel in its defense against such threat. Amounts 

15 obligated or expended to carry out this paragraph 

16 shall not be subject to any limitation in law, or pro17 vision of any bilateral agreement, relating to the 

18 amount of United States assistance authorized to be 

19 made available to Israel. 

20 ‘‘(2) NOTIFICATION REQUIRED.—As soon as 

21 practicable after a transfer of defense articles or 

22 services pursuant to the authority provided by para23 graph (1), the President shall provide a notification 

24 in writing to Congress of the details of such transVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Aug 16, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4156.IH H4156

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1 fer, consistent with the requirements of section 36 of 

2 this Act.’’. 

Æ 


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