Sen. Marshall, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Protect U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem

Legislation blocks Biden Administration’s plan to reopen a U.S. consulate for Palestinians that divides Jerusalem

(Washington, D.C., October 27, 2021) – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined a group of 34 colleagues in introducing the Upholding the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Law Act to protect the full and faithful implementation of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 and block the Biden Administration’s efforts to subvert the law.

“The Biden Administration is willing to ignore U.S. law and the wishes of the Israeli government in order to sow division and gain political points with radical anti-Israel Democrats in Congress,” said Senator Marshall. “Instead of standing with our ally, expanding the Abraham Accords, and prioritizing stability and peace in the Middle East, President Biden continues to undermine the State of Israel. I’m proud to stand with Israel and my colleagues in the U.S. Senate as we fight to prevent the Biden Administration from opening an unlawful U.S. consulate. We must instead focus on the immediate threats to Israel and the United States including – Iranian backed regional terror groups and Iran’s continued pursuit of a nuclear weapon.”

Background:

Under the Trump Administration, the United States fully implemented the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 by formally recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel on December 6, 2017, by moving the U.S. Embassy to Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem on May 14, 2018, and by closing the U.S. Consulate General for the Palestinians and merging its functions into U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem’s new Palestinian Affairs Unit (PAU) under the U.S. Ambassador to Israel’s Chief of Mission authority. Prior to the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995’s full and faithful implementation, the U.S. consulate for the Palestinians had previously operated completely outside of the U.S. Ambassador to Israel’s Chief of Mission authority.

Original co-sponsors of the Upholding the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Law Act of 2021 include: Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), James Inhofe (R-OK), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), James Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Rick Scott (R-FL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN). 

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