Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after voting in support of the motion to proceed to S.1, the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019.
“Today I voted in support of the Middle East bills package, which provides important security assistance for Israel and other key partners in the Middle East. At a time when Israel faces threats from Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran, it is particularly important that we maintain our commitment to Israel’s security.
“The package also contains a title known as the Combatting Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Act. In general, I oppose elements of the BDS movement that seek to delegitimize Israel. I also have concerns about free speech issues that have been raised with the current form of this legislation, which is why I hope that this bill can continue to be improved through further congressional debate and input from the House of Representatives.”