,,iv  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #agg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,april #bc1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,roskam 7for himself and ,mr4      
,lipinski7 submitted the following      
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs         
,,resolution  ,urging the ,palestinian  
,authority and ,president ,mahmoud      
,abbas to clarify a presidential        
succession plan1 expand political       
freedom in the ,west ,bank1 and take    
preventative measures to limit the      
possibility of a ,hamas takeover in the 
,west ,bank4  ,whereas a democratic and 
strong ,palestinian ,authority is a key 
strategic component of ,united ,states  
foreign policy in the ,middle ,east2    
,whereas the ,palestinian ,authority    
represents the only viable partner for  
peace between ,israelis and             
,palestinians2 ,whereas ,palestinian    
,authority security forces are critical 
to maintaining relative stability in the
 ,west ,bank2 ,whereas ,palestinian     

,authority ,president ,mahmoud ,abbas'  
presidential term expired on ,january   
#ae1 #bjji1 and no new presidential     
election has taken place since #bjje2   
,whereas ,president ,abbas does not have
 a responsible heir to succeed him in   
the event of his death2 ,whereas        
,president ,abbas is #gh years old1 a   
prostate cancer survivor1 and a frequent
 traveler who was hospitalized #f times 
in #bjaj2 ,whereas ,salam ,fayyad       
resigned as ,prime ,minister of the     
,palestinian ,authority on ,april #ac1  
#bjac2 ,whereas ,palestinian ,basic     
,law1 article #cg states that1 in the   
event of the ,president's death1 the    
,speaker of the ,palestinian            
,legislative ,council shall temporarily 
assume the powers and duties of the     
,presidency of the ,national ,authority 
for a period not to exceed sixty 7#fj7  
days1 during which free and direct      
elections to elect a new ,president     
shall take place in accordance with     
,palestinian ,election ,law2 ,whereas   

the current speaker of the ,palestinian 
,legislative ,council is ,aziz ,dweik1 a
 ,hamas member2 ,whereas ,aziz ,dweik   
was expelled from ,israel in #aiib for  
his involvement with ,hamas and was     
subsequently arrested in #bjjf and #bjab
 for his involvement with ,hamas and    
terrorist activities2 ,whereas ,hamas is
 designated as a terrorist organization 
by the ,united ,states1 ,european       
,union1 ,israel1 ,canada1 and ,japan2   
,whereas a ,hamas-controlled            
,palestinian ,authority would prevent   
any possibility of a two-state solution 
between the parties2 ,whereas ,president
 ,barack ,obama has stated that ,no     
country can be expected to negotiate    
with a terrorist organization sworn to  
its destruction4 ,and we will continue  
to demand that ,hamas accept the basic  
responsibilities of peace1 including    
,israel's right to exist and rejecting  
violence and adhering to all existing   
agreements42 ,whereas the ,consolidated 
,appropriations ,act1 #bjab1 prohibits  

,united ,states financial assistance to 
,hamas or any entity effectively        
controlled by ,hamas1 any power-sharing 
government of which ,hamas is a member1 
or that results from an agreement with  
,hamas and over which ,hamas exercises  
undue influence42 ,whereas a ,hamas     
takeover of the ,palestinian ,authority 
would trigger the suspension of ,united 
,states foreign aid to the ,palestinian 
,authority2 ,whereas the ,united ,states
 on average provides over #djj1jjj1jjj  
in annual aid to the ,palestinian       
,authority1 which is used to train      
security forces in the ,west ,bank1     
develop infrastructure1 provide         
humanitarian assistance1 and keep the   
,palestinian economy afloat2 ,whereas   
these funds serve to promote democracy  
and human rights1 economic development1 
education1 health care1 water and       
infrastructure1 and prevent economic and
 political crises in the ,west ,bank2   
,whereas these funds assist in laying   
the groundwork for a future1            

self-sustaining1 and viable ,palestinian
 state next to a ,state of ,israel with 
secure and defensible borders2 and      
,whereas the ,united ,states has a      
direct strategic interest in maintaining
 a legitimate political partner in      
control of the ,palestinian ,authority3 
,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that the ,house
 of ,representatives--  7#a7 urges      
,president ,abbas to preempt a          
succession crisis in the ,palestinian   
,authority by addressing the current    
succession plan1 and by identifying     
figures committed to the peace process  
with ,israel2  7#b7 urges the           
,palestinian ,authority and ,president  
,abbas to enact reforms to open the     
political process through fair and      
responsible elections1 ensuring the     
freedom of speech1 the press1 and       
political assembly and allowing a new   
generation of leadership to freely      
express their views2 and  7#c7 urges the
 ,palestinian ,authority to ensure that 
officials participating in any present  

or future ,palestinian ,government are  
committed to the quartet principles1 the
 recognition of ,israel1 renunciation of
 violence1 and adherence to previous    
diplomatic agreements4