Gottheimer, Mast Introduce the US-Israel Common Defense Authorization Act

Act would deter Iran and protect Israel with “bunker buster” munitions

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressmen Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Brian Mast (FL-18) introduced the bipartisan United States-Israel Common Defense Authorization Act. This legislation would authorize the President to protect Israel with the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb capable of taking out Iran’s underground nuclear infrastructure.

Said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), “We must prepare for the serious threat of a nuclear-armed Iran when key provisions of the deal expire. That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to defend Israel from Iran and Hezbollah and reinforce our ally’s qualitative military edge in the region with “bunker buster” munitions. Iran and its terrorist proxies throughout the region must never be able to threaten the U.S. or Israel with a nuclear weapon.”

Said Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18), “The fact is that Iran has done their very best to undermine peace in the Middle East, including launching a ballistic missile inscribed with the slogan ‘Israel should be wiped off the Earth.’  Congressman Gottheimer and I have worked together successfully in the past to pass the U.S.-Israel Joint Missile Defense Act, and I’m confident that this bill will be another great bipartisan step toward preventing Iranian aggression against Israel and the United States.”

Last year, Iran successfully launched two “Qadr II” ballistic missiles at a target in southeastern Iran approximately 870 miles away, in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. The missiles were inscribed with the slogan, “Israel should be wiped off the Earth.”

Nicholas J. Rasmussen, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, indicated Tuesdaythat Hezbollah “is determined to give itself a potential homeland option as a critical component of its terrorism playbook.”Hezbollah, designated by the Department of State as a terrorist organization, has an arsenal of approximately 120,000 to 150,000 rockets aimed at Israel.

Experts including General David Petraeus and Ambassador Dennis Ross have supported providing “bunker buster” munitions to Israel as one way to “put some teeth into the nuclear deal with Iran.”

In May, Gottheimer and Mast introduced the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel. In July, the Gottheimer-Mast US-Israel Joint Missile Defense Act passed the Housein the NDAA. In August, Gottheimer and Mast visited Israel to examine the U.S.-Israel economic, diplomatic, and security alliance.

A one-page bill summary can be found HERE.

The full text of the bill can be found HERE.

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