Watch the Senator’s Full Speech Here.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), took to the Senate floor to request the Unanimous Consent of the Senate to immediately set up a vote on legislation to provide $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. The bill, which was approved in a bipartisan 420-9 vote in the House of Representatives, was blocked by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) following Senator Rosen’s remarks.
“Support for Iron Dome is about the integrity of the U.S.-Israel relationship. There has always been strong, bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel defense partnership. That bipartisan support continues today. Iron Dome saves lives and prevents an escalation of violence, providing a critical window for diplomacy,” said Senator Rosen. “Failure to fund this critical defensive tool would be catastrophic for Israel and would result in lives lost. It would lead to more conflict. And it would weaken the bond between the United States and our greatest ally in the Middle East. We must take action to ensure that this program remains fully operational.”
BACKGROUND: In June, Senator Rosen joined Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) in a bipartisan letter calling for $500 million to fully fund U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs in the Defense Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2022. Israel’s missile defense system is made up of four operational layers: Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow 2, and Arrow 3. In addition to contributing to ballistic missile defense, the funding will support crucial work on research, development, and test activities to counter hostile unmanned aerial systems.
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