119-hr4335

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4335 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4335

To provide authority to enhance security assistance with countries that 
are engaged in regional security cooperation efforts in the Middle East 
 and North Africa, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 10, 2025

 Mr. Lawler (for himself, Mr. Moskowitz, Mr. Zinke, Mr. Davis of North 
 Carolina, Mr. Steil, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Salazar, Mr. Kustoff, Mr. 
 McCaul, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Bacon, Mrs. 
Luna, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mr. Baumgartner, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Nunn 
of Iowa, Mr. Rose, Mr. Fleischmann, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Crank, Mr. Hamadeh 
of Arizona, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Garbarino, Mr. Finstad, and Mr. Messmer) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To provide authority to enhance security assistance with countries that 
are engaged in regional security cooperation efforts in the Middle East 
 and North Africa, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Abraham Accords Defense Against 
Terror Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO ENHANCE SECURITY ASSISTANCE WITH COUNTRIES THAT 
 ARE ENGAGED IN REGIONAL SECURITY COOPERATION EFFORTS IN 
 THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA.

    (a) Statement of 

=== Policy ===
-It is the policy of the United States to 
work with allies and partners to safeguard freedom of navigation, 
protect critical infrastructure, uphold basic principles of 
international law, and protect United States citizens from threats 
posed by Iran and Iran-aligned entities in the Middle East and North 
Africa.

    (b) Authority.--The Secretary of State shall--

    (1) identify countries that--
        (A) have normalized diplomatic relations with the 
 State of Israel; and
        (B) are engaged in regional security cooperation 
 efforts in the Middle East and North Africa to combat 
 threats posed by Iran and Iran-aligned entities; and

    (2) in order to meet the policy described in subsection

    (a) , provide approval for the sale or lease, a license or other 
 approval for the export, or the transfer of defense articles or 
 defense services to countries identified by the Secretary under 
 paragraph

    (1) in accordance with the expedited approval 
 provisions of subsection
            (c) .
            (c) Expedited Approval Provisions.--In the case of a sale or lease 
of defense articles or defense services under 

section 3, 21, or 36 of 
the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2753, 2761, or 2776) to a 
country identified by the Secretary of State under subsection

    (b)

    (1) , a 
license or other approval under 

section 38 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2778) 
for the export of defense articles or defense services to such a 
country (or of a commercial agreement that involves the manufacture in 
such a country of any item of significant combat equipment on the 
United States Munitions List in accordance with 

section 36
            (d) of such 
Act (22 U.S.C. 2776
            (d) )), or a transfer of excess defense articles 
under 

section 516
            (c) (2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
U.S.C. 2321j
            (c) (2) ) to such a country, the President shall--

    (1) notwithstanding the time limitations described in any 
 of such sections, submit to Congress a certification described 
 in such sections, at least 15 calendar days before sale, lease, 
 license or other approval, or transfer of the defense articles 
 or defense services is approved; and

    (2) include in the certification--
        (A) information on why the provision of such 
 defense articles or services is related to or in 
 furtherance of the policy described in subsection

    (a) ; 
 and
        (B) a summary of steps taken by the United States 
 Government to ensure that any sensitive United States 
 technology, information, or capabilities that may be 
 provided to such a country by reason of the provision 
 of such defense articles or services are not acquired 
 by--
            (i) the People's Republic of China or any 
 entity owned or controlled by the People's 
 Republic of China; or
            (ii) the Russian Federation or any entity 
 owned or controlled by the Russian Federation.
            (d) Strategy.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
 the enactment of this Act, and every 60 days thereafter, the 
 Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
 congressional committees, in writing, a strategy on the 
 implementation of this section.

    (2) Matters to be included.--The strategy required by this 
 subsection shall include the following:
        (A) An overview of the security threats from Iran 
 and Iran-aligned entities to both the United States and 
 the countries identified by the Secretary of State 
 under subsection

    (b)

    (1) .
        (B) A description and assessment of the metrics and 
 evaluation procedures used for implementing the policy 
 described in subsection

    (a) , including recommendations 
 to improve multilateral cooperation between the United 
 States and such countries and among such countries.
            (C) A description of the challenges to achieving 
 full interoperability between the United States and 
 such countries and the impact on progress to address 
 the policy described in subsection

    (a) , including 
 efforts to address shared threats posed by Iran and 
 Iran-aligned entities.
            (D) A description of measures to provide such 
 countries interim capabilities until the cases 
 described in clauses
            (i) and
            (ii) are delivered.
        (E) A description and assessment of--
            (i) the status of all pending sales of 
 defense articles or defense services over 
 $25,000,000, including Letters of Request and 
 where applicable Letters of Offer and 
 Acceptance, beginning 5 years prior to the date 
 of the enactment of this Act, to such countries 
 pursuant to the provisions of law specified in 
 subsection
            (c) ;
            (ii) a description of the delivery time-
 frames for all pending sales of defense 
 articles or defense services over $25,000,000 
 to such countries pursuant to the provisions of 
 law specified in subsection
            (c) and any 
 measures that could be taken to expedite their 
 delivery; and
            (iii) recommendations to improve the 
 process for authorizing the transfer of defense 
 articles and services authorized under sections 
 36 and 38 of the Arms Export Control Act to 
 such countries, including as it relates to 
 delivery timeline.

    (3) Form.--The report required by this subsection shall be 
 submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified 
 annex.

    (4) === Definitions. ===
-In this subsection--
        (A) the term ``appropriate congressional 
 committees'' means--
            (i) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
 House of Representatives; and
            (ii) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
 the Senate; and
        (B) the term ``Iran-aligned entity''--
            (i) includes an entity that--
            (I) is controlled or significantly 
 influenced by the Government of Iran; 
 and
            (II) knowingly receives material or 
 financial support from the Government 
 of Iran; and
            (ii) includes--
            (I) Hezbollah;
            (II) the Houthis; or
            (III) any other proxy group that 
 furthers Iran's national security 
 objectives.

SEC. 3. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

 Nothing in this Act shall be construed as adversely affecting 
Israel's qualitative military edge, as defined in 

section 36

    (h)

    (3) of 
the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2776).
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