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Legislative Round-up: January 21-31, 2012

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APN Legislative Round-Up

        for the period of

   January 21-31, 2012

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1.  Bills, Resolutions & Letters

2.  Odds & Ends

 

Apologies for the belated and abbreviated Round-Up this week (and the absent Round-Up this coming Friday) -- both are due mainly to the visit to the U.S. of Jerusalem expert Danny Seidemann, who is in the U.S. discussing current developments/trends in East Jerusalem settlement construction, and the imminent threat they pose to the viability of the two-state solution.  His visit coincides with the publication of a new map presentation laying out these current developments/trends and projecting (conservatively) what the map of Jerusalem will look like at the end of 2013, assuming these trends continue unchecked.   That presentation can be viewed/downloaded here.

 

1.  Bills, Resolutions & Letters

 

(IRAN SANCTIONS) S. XXX:  On 1/27/12 Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-AL) announced that the committee would mark up "the Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Human Rights Act of 2012" on 2/2/12.  A copy of the draft bill can be read/downloaded here (NOTE: this is not necessarily the final text).  A copy of the section-by-section summary of the bill can be read/downloaded here.  New reports on the legislation: AFP, the Telegraph, AP, YNet. 

 

(CLOSE PLO OFFICE IN DC) H.RES.524:  Introduced 1/24/12 by Rep. McCarthy (D-NY) and having 5 cosponsors, "Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Palestine Liberation Organization should not be allowed to maintain an official office in Washington, D.C."  Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.  For background on attacks in the current Congress on the PLO office in DC, see item #9 in "APN's Top 10 Wackiest Congressional Actions on the Middle East of 2011."

 

(TUNISIA’S REVOLUTION) H.RES.527: Introduced 1/25/12 by Rep. Murphy (D-CT) and three cosponsors, "expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding Tunisia's peaceful Jasmine Revolution." The resolution commends the people of Tunisia and the Tunisian independent electoral commission, as well as expressing US interest in Tunisia’s economic prosperity and development.   

 

2.  Odds & Ends

 

Hearings/Events:

 

2/1/12, Hill briefing hosted by the "Bipartisan Policy Center" entitled Stopping the Clock on Iran's Nuclear Development.  Featuring Sen. Coats (R-IN), Rep. Engel (D-NY), former Senator Chuck Robb (D-VA), former Senator John Tanner (D-TN), Larry Goldstein (BPC), and Michael Makovsky (Director of BPC’s "National Security Project", brother of WINEP’s David Makovsky)

2/2/12, House Committee on Foreign Affairs Hearing: Ahmadinejad’s Tour of Tyrants and Iran’s Agenda in the Western Hemisphere, Witnesses: Norman Bailey, Michael Braun, and Jose Azel.

 

Members on the Record:

Sen. Hoeven (R-ND) 1/30/12: Arguing that Iran’s threat to close the Straits of Hormuz are one of the reasons why people should support his bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project.

Berman (D-CA) 1/26/12: Congressman Berman Denounces Sermon by Palestinian Authority’s Top Cleric

Rep. Ellison (D-MN) 1/25/12: One-Year Anniversary of Egyptian Revolution

Rep. King (R-IO) 1/25/12: In support of the Keystone XL pipeline project (bashing Obama on Iran)

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) 1/25/12: Response to President’s State of the Union Address (bashing Obama on Iran and Israel)

Rep. Kelly (R-PA) 1/23/12: Op-ed in the Hill: We must lead charge against Iran

Rep. Jackson-Lee (D-TX) 1/23/12: "Words Matter" (Criticism of Atlanta journalist’s statements on Iran, Israel, and US President)

Rep. Poe (R-TX) 1/23/12: Iran is bad, opposing Keystone Pipeline XL project is un-American…

Rep. Ellison (D-MN) 1/24/12: Return "Sesame Street" to Palestinian Airwaves (release aid to Palestinians)

 

From the News:

The Cable 1/30/12: Egyptian Embassy: We fired our Washington lobbyists for budgetary reasons

Staten Island Live.com 1/29/12: New allegations question Grimm's campaign financing

The Cable 1/28/12: Egypt gets dumped by its Washington lobbyists

CNN 1/27/12: Will Egypt;s crackdown end U.S. gravy train?

Fox 1/27/12: US Seeks More Powerful Bomb To Combat Iran's Underground Facilities

Washington Post 1/27/12: Clinton sidesteps dispute between Turkey and France over genocide legislation

Foreign Policy 1/27/12: Hard Times in Hebron

NOLA.com 1/27/12: Louisiana congressional delegation and their staffers take more privately funded trips ([including to Israel)

Politico 1/27/12: Livingston, Moffett, Podesta Egyptian lobbying contact ended

NYT 1/27/12: Rabbi’s Followers Cast Doubts on Congressman’s Fund-Raising (Grimm, R-NY)

The Cable 1/27/12: Obama administration using loophole to quietly sell arms package to Bahrain

JTA 1/26/12: House GOPers urge Obama to enforce Iran sanctions

Time 1/26/12: To Confront Iran, Will the U.S. Risk Relations with India? 

NYT 1/26/12: Pentagon Cuts Would Affect Raises, Insurance and Base Closings

LAT 1/25/12: Obama to recommend extending loan guarantees for Israel

The Atlantic 1/25/12: How the U.S. and Iran Keep Failing To Find a Peace They Both Want

The Cable 1/25/12: Clinton’s policy planning director on 2012 foreign policy priorities

Haartez 1/24/12: U.S. to grant three-year extension of loan guarantees to Israel

The Cable 1/24/12: Kerry: Syria getting very close to civil war

Al Jazeera 1/24/12: Israel, Iran and the US: Axis of Instability

JTA 1/24/12: Amid Iran concerns, top U.S. and Israeli officials meet

CNN 1/24/12: Iran sanctions will hit its economy, but not kill it

The Cable 1/23/12: US sanctions another big Iranian bank

Wall Street Journal 1/23/12: Congress Could Exempt Key BP Project from New Iran Sanctions

 

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Check the APN blog for breaking news and analysis about issues related to Israel, the Middle East, and the Hill.   

Past editions of the Round-Up are archived and available online.

For more information, contact Lara Friedman, APN Director of Policy and Government Relations.