{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://franks.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/chair-israel-allies-caucus-applauds-president-trump-s-historic-and-long", "Chair of the Israel Allies Caucus Applauds President Trumps Historic and Long Overdue Decision to Recognize Jerusalem as Israels Capital and Move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "AZ", "Trent Franks", "F000448", "franks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Trent Franks, chair of the Israel Allies Caucus, released the following statement applauding President Trump\u2019s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital and seat of government, and his call for plans to move the U.S.\u2019s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Rep. Trent Franks introduced bipartisan legislation in the House (H.R. 257) at the beginning of the 115th Congress which would specifically recognize Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s undivided capital. The bill would also revoke the waiver-authority presidents from both parties have been using since 1995 to avoid moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.\u00a0 Israel is the world\u2019s only Jewish state, and Jerusalem is the only functioning capital city in the world where the United States does not have an embassy (Taiwan being the other exception).\n\u00a0\n\u201cWe congratulate President Trump\u2019s courage in recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and her seat of government.\u00a0 This is an historic and long overdue decision. This recognition rectifies the seventy years of injustice in which the U.S. failed to extend the ancient international custom of maintaining our embassy in a nation\u2019s declared capital \u2013 a courtesy we extend to some of the world\u2019s most virulent actors.\n\u00a0\n\u201cMany administrations have signed this shameful legal waiver which allows the President to avoid executing the statutory obligation to move our embassy to Jerusalem.\u00a0 President Trump has chosen to do the right thing for Israel; it is long past time for the U.S. to recognize Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s eternal and undivided capital.\u00a0 While I wish he would have announced a more immediate relocation of our embassy, however, I am greatly encouraged by his decision to order the State Department to begin plans for a new embassy in Jerusalem.\u00a0 Neither President Trump, nor the American people, should allow the U.S. to be shaken from our resolve by threats of terrorism by petty savages around the world and their enablers who now threaten us with violence for simply following standard diplomatic protocol with our friends in Israel.\n\u00a0\n\u201cIsrael is America\u2019s most cherished ally; this move signals Israel\u2019s sovereignty in Jerusalem. We look forward to seeing the U.S. embassy open there as soon as possible.\u201d\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://franks.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/chair-israel-allies-caucus-applauds-president-trump-s-historic-and-long"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.395863877609372, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}