,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hdid  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #a1         
#bjbj,mr4 ,schneider 7for himself1 ,mr4 
,deutch1 ,mr4 ,fitzpatrick1 ,mr4        
,sherman1 ,mr4 ,katko1 ,ms4 ,wasserman  
,schultz1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,mr4 ,gottheimer1 
,mr4 ,bera1 ,mrs4 ,murphy of ,florida1  
,mr4 ,ted ,lieu of ,california1 ,mr4    
,trone1 ,mr4 ,cisneros1 ,mrs4 ,luria1   
,mr4 ,panetta1 ,mr4 ,rose of ,new ,york1
 ,ms4 ,torres ,small of ,new ,mexico1   
and ,mr4 ,suozzi7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs  ,a 
,,bill  ,to reaffirm the critical role  
of congressional consultation and to    
require appropriate deliberation to     
assess the effects of the sale or export
 of major defense equipment to countries
 in the ,middle ,east on the qualitative
 military edge of ,israel1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,guaranteeing       
,israel's ,,qme ,act of #bjbj4  #b4     

,findings ,congress finds the following3
 7#a7 ,the recent signing of the        
,abraham ,accords and establishment of  
full diplomatic relations between       
,united ,arab ,emirates and ,bahrain    
with ,israel represents a historic step 
towards perusing peace and security for 
all peoples in the ,middle ,east region4
  7#b7 ,israel remains the most         
important and most reliable strategic   
ally of the ,united ,states in the      
,middle ,east4  7#c7 ,the enactment of  
the ,united ,states-,israel ,strategic  
,partnership ,act of #bjad 7,public ,law
 #aac-bif7 established ,israel as a     
major strategic partner of the ,united  
,states4  7#d7 ,certain countries and   
non-state actors in the ,middle ,east   
region have been at war1 both declared  
and undeclared1 with ,israel since its  
founding in #aidh4  7#e7 ,for more than 
#ej years1 the ,united ,states has      
worked to ensure ,israel's qualitative  
military edge when considering the sale 
or export of defense articles and       

defense services to ,israel or to others
 in the ,middle ,east region4  7#f7     
,maintaining a substantial qualitative  
military edge is critical to preserving 
,israel's safety and security1 and has  
been a vital consideration in all       
previous sales of weapons to the region4
  7#g7 ,since #bjjh1 the ,united ,states
 commitment to ,israel's qualitative    
military edge has been established and  
reaffirmed several times in law4  7#h7  
,in #bjaf1 the ,united ,states and      
,israel signed a #aj-year ,memorandum of
 ,understanding1 in which the ,united   
,states committed that the acquisition  
of additional ,u4,s4-produced           
capabilities and technology provide the 
best means to ensure ,israel preserves  
its ,qualitative ,military ,edge        
7,,qme74  #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is
 the sense of ,congress that the        
,president1 consistent with long        
established ,united ,states law and in  
support of one of the most important    
,united ,states allies1 must ensure that

 any sale or export of defense articles 
or defense services to countries in the 
,middle ,east region does not in any way
 adversely affect ,israel's qualitative 
military edge4  #d4 ,additional         
assessment and consultation regarding   
,israel's qualitative military edge     
,section #cf7;h7 of the ,arms ,export   
,control ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bggf7;h77 
is amended by adding at the end the     
following3  7#d7 ,consultation required 
,the ,president shall seek to consult   
with appropriate officials of the       
,government of ,israel for information  
regarding ,israel's qualitative military
 edge before making a determination     
under paragraph 7#a74  7#e7 ,initial    
determination with respect to letters of
 request ,not later than #fj days after 
the date of a letter of request for     
defense articles or defense services    
subject to this section1 the ,president 
shall submit to ,congress an            
unclassified determination with respect 
to the impact fulfilling such request   

would have on ,israel's qualitative     
military edge1 and offer to provide     
supplemental classified briefing on such
 determination4  4