IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 551 
Recognizing the importance of the United States-Israel economic relationship 
and encouraging new areas of cooperation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 3, 2015 
Mr. TED LIEU of California (for himself, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. ROYCE, and 
Mr. ENGEL) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the importance of the United States-Israel eco-
nomic relationship and encouraging new areas of co-
operation. 
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 es-
tablished the Joint Committee to facilitate the agreement 
and collaborate on efforts to increase bilateral coopera-
tion and investment; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:43 Dec 03, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR551.IH
HR551
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 551 IH 
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) re-
gion after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates 
despite representing only 2 percent of the region’s popu-
lation; 
Whereas nearly half of all investment into 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 Foun-
dation was established to administer the Fulbright Pro-
gram 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 sup-
porting collaborative research projects in basic and ap-
plied scientific fields, and has generated investments of 
over $480,000,000 to over 4,000 projects since its incep-
tion. 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 Indus-
trial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) was 
established to stimulate, promote and support non-de-
fense industrial research and development of mutual ben-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:13 Dec 04, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR551.IH
HR551
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 551 IH 
efit to both countries in agriculture, communications, life 
sciences, electronics, electro-optics, energy, healthcare in-
formation technology, homeland security, software, water 
and 
other 
technologies, 
and 
has 
provided 
over 
$300,000,000 to over 700 joint projects since its incep-
tion; 
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 Agri-
cultural Research and Development Fund was established 
as a competitive funding program for mutually beneficial, 
mission-oriented, strategic and applied research of agri-
cultural problems conducted jointly by American 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 con-
vening 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 Tech-
nology Foundation (USISTF) was established to promote 
the advancement of science and technology for mutual 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:13 Dec 04, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR551.IH
HR551
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 551 IH 
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 Indus-
trial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) En-
ergy program was established to provide support for joint 
United States-Israel research and development of renew-
able 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 En-
ergy 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, the United States Congress passed and 
President Barack Obama signed into law the United 
States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 
2012, which set United States policy to expand bilateral 
cooperation across the spectrum of civilian sectors includ-
ing high technology, agriculture, medicine, health, phar-
maceuticals, and energy; 
Whereas in 2013, President Barack Obama said in reference 
to Israel’s contribution to the global economy, ‘‘That in-
novation is just as important to the relationship between 
the United States and Israel as our security coopera-
tion.’’; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:13 Dec 04, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR551.IH
HR551
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 551 IH 
Whereas in 2014, United States Secretary of the Treasury 
Jacob Lew said, ‘‘As one of the most technologically-ad-
vanced 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, the United States Congress passed and 
President Obama signed into law the United States-Israel 
Strategic Partnership Act of 2014, which deepened co-
operation on energy, water, agriculture, trade and de-
fense, 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 organiza-
tions in over 30 States that have encouraged new forms 
of cooperation in fields such as water conservation, cyber-
security, and alternative energy and farming technologies: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) affirms that the United States-Israel eco-
nomic 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 inno-
vation present promising new frontiers for United 
States-Israel economic cooperation, particularly in 
light of widespread drought, cybersecurity attacks, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:43 Dec 03, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR551.IH
HR551
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 551 IH 
and other major challenges impacting the United 
States; 
(3) encourages the Administration 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 Administration to 
explore new agreements with Israel, including in the 
fields of energy, water, agriculture, medicine, 
neurotechnology and cybersecurity. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:43 Dec 03, 2015
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR551.IH
HR551
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS