I. Legislative Branch
1) Legislation
New Legislation to Strengthen Abraham Accord Partnerships. On September 16, Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced S.5058, which supports technology cooperation among Abraham Accord nations to combat Iran’s use of cyber and artificial intelligence tools. Also on September 16, Sens. Ernst and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced S.5059, legislation to strengthen military partnerships among the Abraham Accord nations. On September 19, Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) introduced H.Res.1476, calling for steps to deepen Israel’s regional integration in the region.
House Passes Anti-BDS Legislation. On September 18, the House passed H.R.5179, the Anti-BDS Labeling Act. The bill would extend current US policy stipulating that US imports that are made in Israeli-controlled areas of the West Bank be marked as originating from “Israel.” The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), celebrated the bill’s passage, saying that the labeling of goods as “Made in ‘West Bank/Gaza’ falsely recogniz[es] these territories as one unified political entity and eras[es] US-recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Area C.”
House Bill Seeks Improved US-Jordan Defense Partnership. On September 17, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) introduced H.R.9637 to improve US-Jordanian defense cooperation.
Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims to Improve Internet Freedom in Iran. On September 17, Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) Chair Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) introduced S.5076, the Iran Internet Freedom Act, which authorizes $30 million to support open, reliable, and secure internet service inside Iran, particularly for human rights defenders, independent journalists, civil society, and marginalized groups.
House Bill Seeks to Prohibit Funds for Armed Forces of Lebanon. On September 18, Rep. Gregory Steube (R-FL) introduced H.R.9646, which would bar US funding for the Lebanese Army unless the Secretary of State certifies that multiple safeguards and assurances relating to Hezbollah and Iran are in place.
House Bill Pursues Restored Funding for UNRWA. On September 18, Rep. André Carson (D-IN) and 62 Democratic co-sponsors introduced H.R.9649 to restore US funding to UNRWA.
Cardin Leads Bill to Prevent Normalization with Syria. On September 18, Senator Cardin introduced S.5095, which aims to counter other countries’ efforts to normalize relations with Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
House Bill Encourages Expansion of US-Israeli Energy Cooperation. On September 19, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) introduced H.R.9713which would reauthorize and expand the United States-Israel Energy Cooperation program.
Senate Resolution Seeks Greater Inclusion of Women in Sudan Peace Process. On September 19, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced S.Res.831, which calls for the inclusion of Sudanese women in US efforts to end the conflict.
2) Personnel and Correspondence
Republicans Seek Increased US and European Pressure on Iran. On September 16, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), called on the Biden administration to implement sanctions included in the 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act. On September 18, SFRC Ranking Member Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) and Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE), ranking member of the SFRC subcommittee on Europe, urged European leaders to increase their efforts to “hold Iran accountable for aggression.” On September 19, Senators Risch and Marco Rubio (R-FL), along with Reps, Jim Banks (R-IN) and Mike Lawler (R-NY), wrote to President Joe Biden urging his administration to implement the human rights and oil sanctions authorized in existing US law. On September 20, a bipartisan House letter called on the United Kingdom to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
Senate Republicans Condemn UN Resolution Demanding End to Israeli Occupation. On September 17, Sen. Risch and Sen. Rubio, along with 28 other Senate Republicans, issued a statement to condemn a UN General Assembly resolution calling on Israel to “end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.” (The General Assembly adopted the resolution on September 18.) The senators described the resolution as “a disgrace that rewards terrorism.”
Letters Reiterate Concern Over Pro-Palestine Campus Protests. On September 18, Reps. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Kevin Kiley (R-CA) expressed their concern over pro-Palestine campus protests in a letter to the US Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR). The letter, which 19 other members of Congress signed, calls on USCCR to convene a briefing “on the alarming rise of antisemitism on college and university campuses, particularly following the events of October 7, 2023.” On September 19, Republican members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce wrote to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, requesting information on how HHS is responding to protests at grantee institutions.
Sanders Seeks to Block Arms Sales to Israel. On September 18, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced his intention to introduce several joint resolutions to block $20 billion in new US arms sales to Israel.
3) Hearings and Briefings
HFAC Holds Hearing on Iran. On September 19, HFAC’s Middle East subcommittee held a subcommittee hearing on Iran’s threats to the United States and Israel.
Armed Services Committee Holds Hearing on National Defense Strategy. On September 18, the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing to receive testimony from the Commission on the National Defense Strategy regarding its 2024 report. The report identifies Iran and Iranian-supported groups and the “so-called Islamic State” as top threats to US national security.
II. Executive Branch
1) White House
Harris “Supportive” of Biden Pause on 2,000-Pound Bombs to Israel. On September 17, Vice President Kamala Harris said that she is “entirely supportive” of the administration’s pause on the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. Reacting to pushback against the administration’s handling of the Gaza war, Harris remarked that “there is some leverage we’ve had and used.”
Biden Calls for End to War in Sudan. On September 17, President Biden called on the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to “to pull back their forces, facilitate unhindered humanitarian access, and re-engage in negotiations to end this war.”
White House Seeks Diplomatic Solution Amid Gaza and Lebanon Escalation. On September 18, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby stated that “we’re not any closer today than we were a few days ago” in reaching a Gaza ceasefire deal. Kirby also stated that the Biden administration continues to believe that “there is a diplomatic path forward, particularly up near Lebanon.” Kirby asserted that the United States was not involved in Israel’s recent cyberattacks across Lebanon. On September 21, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that the administration “would like to see calm on the northern border” but asserted that “Hezbollah started this whole thing.”
2) Department of State
Department Calls on Iran to Cease Human Rights Violations. On September 16, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, issued a joint statement on the second anniversary of the death in Iranian custody of Mahsa Zhina Amini. The statement asserted, “We stand with women and girls in Iran, and Iranian human rights defenders, across all segments of society in their ongoing daily fight for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
United States Generally Supportive of Israeli Attacks on Hezbollah. On September 17, Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the Department of State is gathering information on Israeli explosives attack on pagers and other personal telecommunications devices throughout Lebanon. Miller stated that the United States “was not aware of this incident in advance” but that the administration supports operations to target Hezbollah “in general.”
Blinken Co-Chairs US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue. On September 17-19, Secretary Blinken traveled to Egypt to co-chair the US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue. During his visit, Blinken met with senior Egyptian officials, including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to discuss ceasefire talks in Gaza and regional developments. At a joint press conference with the Egyptian foreign minister, Blinken urged all parties to refrain from escalating the Gaza conflict. The dialogue also covered situations in Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen.
Department Not Currently Looking to Redesignate Houthis as Foreign Terrorist Organization. On September 17, Assistant Secretary of Legislative Affairs Naz Durakoğlu wrote to Rep. Richie Torres (D-NY) that a US redesignation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization “would have major implications on food security and basic needs of the population” in Yemen. Durakoğlu argued that the existing US designation of the Houthis as Specially Designated Global Terrorist “is carefully calibrated to maximize its deterrent effect on the Houthis while also mitigating the effects on vulnerable Yemeni civilians to the greatest extent possible.”
Secretary Blinken Discusses Gaza and Lebanon in Paris. On September 19, Secretary Blinken met with European foreign ministers in Paris to discuss ceasefire negotiations and civilian protection in Gaza. Blinken also discussed these issues with French President Emmanuel Macron. Speaking at a press conference with Macron, he stated that “we don’t want to see any escalatory actions by any party that make that even more difficult.”
3) Department of Defense
Pentagon Denies US Involvement in Israel Attacks in Lebanon. On September 17, Department of Defense Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters that “there’s no US involvement” in the recent Israeli pager attacks in Lebanon. Ryder affirmed that the administration continues to advocate for a diplomatic resolution to tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Secretary Austin Speaks with Israeli Defense Minister. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on September 16, 18, and 19 about the recent Houthi and Hezbollah attacks on Israel. Austin reiterated US support for Israel against threats while expressing concern over the recent escalation and calling for a diplomatic solution.
4) Department of the Treasury
Secretary Yellen Meets with Families of American Hostages. On September 18, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen met with families of Americans who have been taken hostage by Hamas. Yellen reiterated the administration’s call for a hostage deal in Gaza and its commitment to target key revenue sources for Iran and Iran-supported groups.
Treasury Sanctions Iranian Officials Over Human Rights Violations. On September 18, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions on 12 Iranians, including members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, officials of Iran’s Prisons Organization, and individuals responsible for Iranian international operations.
5) United States Agency for International Development
United States to Invest $129 Million in Egypt’s Development. On September 18, Secretary Blinken announced $129 million in new USAID funding to support economic reform, education, health and government transparency in Egypt, among other areas.
