“American families should have this information in order to buy products that support Israel’s economy – particularly in a time of war. Conversely, people should know if an item comes from a region controlled by terrorists that kidnapped and killed their fellow Americans.”

As prepared for delivery.

“I rise in support of the Anti-BDS Labeling Act introduced by my good friend and Ways and Means colleague Claudia Tenney. 

“For years, far-left progressives have targeted Israel through the boycott, divest, or sanction movement. 

“In fact, many of the recent campus protests we saw – that came in the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks on Israel – shut down elite universities to try and force university endowments to divest from Israel. For these protestors, no step is too far to achieve their goals. The incidents of harassment, bullying, and intimidation of Jewish students are, at this point, too numerous to count. The Ways and Means Committee will not stop holding these elite universities accountable until every Jewish student feels safe on campus.

“This small, loud minority does not speak for the vast majority of Americans. Let me be clear: America stands with Israel. 

“Under President Trump, the alliance between the United States and Israel was stronger than ever. He moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. He brokered the Abraham Accords, sending a message to Iran that Israel does not stand alone. He canceled President Obama’s disastrous Iran nuclear deal and the list goes on. 

“One of the items on that list of accomplishments was a move to counter the same BDS movement fueling the chaos on college campuses. 

“In 2020, the Trump Administration’s Customs and Border Protection clarified the labeling of items imported from Israel. Items coming from regions of the West Bank under Israeli authority must be labeled as coming from Israel. Just as labels on items coming from Hamas-controlled Gaza or areas of the West Bank outside of Israeli control must reflect its origin as coming from one of those two areas.

“This bill before us codifies this Trump rule into law and bans the use of any federal dollars to reverse or alter it. 

“American families should have this information in order to buy products that support Israel’s economy – particularly in a time of war. Conversely, people should know if an item comes from a region controlled by terrorists that kidnapped and killed their fellow Americans. 

“Public reports earlier this year indicated that the Biden-Harris Administration considered reversing this policy. Once again, Democrats are putting the demands of radical progressives ahead of our best ally and our largest trading partner in the Middle East. 

“I urge my Democrat colleagues to vote yes on this legislation and join us in empowering Americans looking to show their support for Israel.”