Title: Providing for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 336) to make improvements to certain defense and security assistance provisions and to authorize the appropriation of funds to Israel, to reauthorize the United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015, and to halt the wholesale slaughter of the Syrian people, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
This resolution sets forth the rule for consideration of H.R. 336 (Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019).

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 348 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 348

    Providing for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 336) to make 
improvements to certain defense and security assistance provisions and 
 to authorize the appropriation of funds to Israel, to reauthorize the 
 United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015, and to halt the 
   wholesale slaughter of the Syrian people, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 2, 2019

  Mr. Zeldin (for himself and Mr. Kustoff of Tennessee) submitted the 
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Providing for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 336) to make 
improvements to certain defense and security assistance provisions and 
 to authorize the appropriation of funds to Israel, to reauthorize the 
 United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015, and to halt the 
   wholesale slaughter of the Syrian people, and for other purposes.

    Resolved, That immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the 
House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 
336) to make improvements to certain defense and security assistance 
provisions and to authorize the appropriation of funds to Israel, to 
reauthorize the United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015, 
and to halt the wholesale slaughter of the Syrian people, and for other 
purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are 
waived. The amendment described in section 2 of this resolution shall 
be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as 
read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, 
are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the 
bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto to final passage 
without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally 
divided and controlled by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader 
or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions.
    Sec. 2.  The amendment referred to in the first section is an 
amendment to H.R. 336 to add at the end of the bill the following:

``SEC. 406. CLARIFICATION OF DEADLINE FOR REPORT ON ESTABLISHING AN 
              ENTERPRISE FUND FOR JORDAN.

    ``For purposes of section 205(a), the term `establishment of the 
United States Development Finance Corporation' means the end of the 
transition period, as defined in section 1461 of the Better Utilization 
of Investments Leading to Development Act of 2018 (division F of Public 
Law 115-254).

``SEC. 407. FORM OF REPORT ON THE COOPERATION OF THE UNITED STATES AND 
              ISRAEL WITH RESPECT TO COUNTERING UNMANNED AERIAL 
              SYSTEMS.

    ``The report required under section 123(d) shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

``SEC. 408. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON WITHDRAWALS OF UNITED STATES FORCES 
              FROM SYRIA AND AFGHANISTAN.

    ``(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            ``(1) The foreign terrorist organization al Qaeda, 
        responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001, maintains a 
        presence in Afghanistan.
            ``(2) The Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham, better known 
        by its acronym ISIS, flourished in the chaos unleashed by the 
        civil war in Syria and at one point controlled extensive 
        territory in Iraq and Syria.
            ``(3) Al Qaeda, ISIS, and their affiliates have murdered 
        thousands of innocent civilians.
            ``(4) Al Qaeda, ISIS, and their affiliates have proven 
        resilient and have regrouped when the United States and its 
        partners have withdrawn from the fight against them.
    ``(b) Sense of Congress.--Congress--
            ``(1) acknowledges that the United States military and our 
        partners have made significant progress in the campaign against 
        al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS), and 
        honors the contributions and sacrifice of the members of the 
        United States Armed Forces who have served on the front lines 
        of this fight;
            ``(2) recognizes the continuing threat to the homeland and 
        our allies posed by al Qaeda and ISIS, which maintain an 
        ability to operate in Syria and Afghanistan;
            ``(3) expresses concern that Iran has supported the Taliban 
        in Afghanistan and Hizballah and the Assad regime in Syria, and 
        has sought to frustrate diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts 
        in these two countries;
            ``(4) recognizes the positive role the United States and 
        its partners have played in Syria and Afghanistan fighting 
        terrorist groups, countering Iranian aggression, deterring the 
        further use of chemical weapons, and protecting human rights;
            ``(5) warns that a precipitous withdrawal of United States 
        forces from the ongoing fight against these groups, without 
        effective, countervailing efforts to secure gains in Syria and 
        Afghanistan, could allow terrorists to regroup, destabilize 
        critical regions, and create vacuums that could be filled by 
        Iran or Russia, to the detriment of United States interests and 
        those of our allies;
            ``(6) recognizes that al Qaeda and ISIS pose a global 
        threat, which merits increased international contributions to 
        the counterterrorism, diplomatic, and stabilization efforts 
        underway in Syria and Afghanistan;
            ``(7) recognizes that diplomatic efforts to secure 
        peaceful, negotiated solutions to the conflicts in Syria and 
        Afghanistan are necessary to long-term stability and 
        counterterrorism efforts in the Middle East and South Asia;
            ``(8) acknowledges the progress made by Special 
        Representative Khalilzad in his efforts to promote 
        reconciliation in Afghanistan;
            ``(9) calls upon the Administration to conduct a thorough 
        review of the military and diplomatic strategies in Syria and 
        Afghanistan, including an assessment of the risk that 
        withdrawal from those countries could strengthen the power and 
        influence of Russia and Iran in the Middle East and South Asia 
        and undermine diplomatic efforts toward negotiated, peaceful 
        solutions;
            ``(10) requests that the Administration, as part of this 
        review, solicit the views of Israel, our regional partners, and 
        other key troop-contributing nations in the fight against al 
        Qaeda and ISIS;
            ``(11) reiterates support for international diplomatic 
        efforts to facilitate peaceful, negotiated resolutions to the 
        ongoing conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan on terms that 
        respect the rights of innocent civilians and deny safe havens 
        to terrorists;
            ``(12) calls upon the Administration to pursue a strategy 
        that sets the conditions for the long-term defeat of al Qaeda 
        and ISIS, as well as the protection of regional partners and 
        allies, while ensuring that Iran cannot dominate the region or 
        threaten Israel;
            ``(13) encourages close collaboration between the Executive 
        Branch and the Legislative Branch to ensure continuing strong, 
        bipartisan support for United States military operations in 
        Syria and Afghanistan; and
            ``(14) calls upon the Administration to certify that 
        conditions have been met for the enduring defeat of al Qaeda 
        and ISIS before initiating any significant withdrawal of United 
        States forces from Syria or Afghanistan.
    ``(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as a declaration of war or an authorization of the use of 
military force.''.
    Sec. 3.  Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the 
consideration of H.R. 336.
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