{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=182bb73c-677d-4495-b61e-22472484116a", "COCHRAN:  U.S. INVESTMENT IN MISSILE DEFENSE HELPS PROTECT ISRAEL", "2014-07-17", "2014", "2014-07", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Thad Cochran", "C000567", "www.cochran.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today highlighted approval for continued United States investment in the missile defense systems now protecting Israel from attack.\r\nCochran, vice chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, on Thursday lauded committee approval of the FY2015 Defense Appropriations Bill he helped write that includes increased support for Israeli missile defense programs.\u00a0 These programs, including the Iron Dome rocket defense system, are protecting Israelis from ongoing missile attacks from the Gaza Strip.\r\n\u00a0\u201cThe Iron Dome system is effectively protecting Israel from short-range rocket attacks.\u00a0 Our investment in the Iron Dome is needed now more than ever as a tool for peace for an ally under increased attack from terrorist organizations like Hamas,\u201d Cochran said.\r\n\u201cOur ongoing challenge is to make sure our military forces are equipped with the defense capabilities that they need to protect the security interests of our country.\u00a0 At the same time, we recognize that U.S. security interests include Israel as a primary ally in the Middle East,\u201d he said.\r\nThe Senate Appropriations Committee approved $621 million for Israeli missile defense programs, $348 million more than the President\u2019s request.\u00a0 This funding includes $351 million for Iron Dome and will also support the Arrow and David\u2019s Sling programs. Mississippi played a vital role in co-production of the mid-tier Arrow system that Israel uses today against short and medium range ballistic missiles.\r\nCochran was the primary author of the historic National Missile Defense Act of 1999, which set the stage for the development of complex suites of protocols, sensors and interceptors to defend against rocket and missile attacks against the United States and Israel.\u00a0 He has since been one of the Senate\u2019s chief advocates for cooperation between the U.S. and Israel on missile defense technologies, and views missile defense as a tool both for saving lives and for opening the door for diplomacy by preventing combat escalation.\r\nSeparately, Cochran is an original cosponsor of a bipartisan resolution (S.Res.498) approved by the Senate on Thursday that expresses United States support for Israel, as it defends itself against unprovoked rocket attacks from the Hamas terrorist organization.\u00a0 The resolution reaffirms U.S. support for Israel\u2019s right to defend itself, condemns unprovoked rocket fire at Israel, and calls on Palestinian Authority President Abbas to dissolve the unity government arrangement with Hamas.\r\nA copy of S.Res.498 is available below.\r\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://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=182bb73c-677d-4495-b61e-22472484116a"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0476079769432545, "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"}