{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2024/10/sen-rick-scott-joins-sen-jim-risch-to-lead-26-colleagues-in-introducing-stand-with-israel-act-to-combat-israel-s-persecution-at-un", "Sen. Rick Scott Joins Sen. Jim Risch to Lead 26 Colleagues in Introducing Stand with Israel Act to Combat Israel\u2019s Persecution at UN", "2024-10-23", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "FL", "Rick Scott", "S001217", "www.rickscott.senate.gov", "rickscott", "https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/press-releases/", "page_html", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Senator Rick Scott joined Senators Jim Risch and Tom Cotton, Chuck Grassley, Bill Cassidy, Dan Sullivan, Steve Daines, Mike Lee, Kevin Cramer, John Barrasso, Pete Ricketts, Eric Schmitt, John Kennedy, Mike Crapo, Roger Wicker, Shelley Moore Capito, Marco Rubio, Joni Ernst, Ron Johnson, Markwayne Mullin, Thom Tillis, Ted Budd, Susan Collins, Tim Scott, Josh Hawley, James Lankford, John Thune and Deb Fischer to announce their intent to introduce the Stand with Israel Act when the Senate and House reconvene in November. This legislation would cut off U.S. funding to United Nations (UN) agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend, or otherwise restrict the participation of the State of Israel. This is companion legislation to bipartisan House bill HR 9394 led by Representative Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.).\n\nSenator Rick Scott said, \u201cUnfortunately, the UN has lost almost all credibility on human rights. They coddle regimes like Iran while allowing the extremists to condemn Israel, and it is absurd that U.S. taxpayer dollars are helping fund this dysfunctional organization. The U.S. must stand with Israel and Congress must make that clear by passing this commonsense bill.\u201d\n\nSenator Jim Risch said, \u201cAny attempt to alter Israel\u2019s status at the UN is clearly anti-Semitic. That said, if the UN member states allow the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization to downgrade Israel\u2019s status at the UN, the U.S. must stop supporting the UN system, as it would clearly be beyond repair. I am disgusted that this outrageous idea has even been discussed, and will do all we can to ensure any changes to Israel\u2019s status will come with consequences.\u201d\n\nSenator Tom Cotton said, \u201cA move to downgrade Israel\u2019s status at the United Nations would be a new low, even for an organization that is as rife with antisemites as the UN. Any attempt to alter Israel\u2019s status at the behest of the terrorist-affiliated Palestine Liberation Organization will be met with severe consequences.\u201d\n\nSenator Chuck Grassley said, \u201cAs the historic homeland of the Jewish people, the only democracy in the Middle East and a cherished ally of the United States, Israel\u2019s membership status in the UN shouldn\u2019t be up for debate. The United States is the UN\u2019s largest financial backer; any antisemitic attempt to downgrade Israel\u2019s status ought to be met with severe and immediate consequences by cutting off U.S. funding.\u201d\n\nSenator Bill Cassidy said, \u201cThe United States will not stand for antisemitism at home or on the world stage. Anyone who attempts to restrict or reduce Israel\u2019s status at the UN should bear a heavy cost.\u201d\n\nSenator Dan Sullivan said, \u201cAs Israel continues to fight for its existence, this legislation sends a critically important message that the United States stands firm in its support for Israel. Unfortunately, antisemitism has pervaded the United Nations for decades and discredits the U.N. mission. It must end. I recently raised this with the U.N. Secretary General and our U.S. ambassador to the U.N.. Not only should the U.N. continue to allow for the full participation of Israel, but the U.N. should also designate Iran-backed Hamas a terrorist organization and fully condemn Hamas\u2019s Oct. 7 attacks.\u201d\n\nSenator Steve Daines said, \u201cIsrael has long been a beacon of democracy in the Middle East and it\u2019s outrageous that the United Nations would discriminate against Israel or even consider its expulsion I am proud to support the \u201cStand with Israel Act\u201d because the United States now more than ever must support Israel.\u201d\n\nSenator Mike Lee said, \u201cThe United Nations has become a safe haven for anti-Semitic actors. Any attempt to downgrade Israel's status is a deliberate act of hostility aimed at undermining their right to exist. The U.S. must send a clear message: we will not fund or support agencies that tolerate such disgraceful actions. I am fully committed to ensuring that there are significant consequences for this blatant bias against Israel.\u201d\n\nSenator Kevin Cramer said, \u201cThe United States must unequivocally support Israel\u2019s right to defend itself. If the United Nations moves to expel, downgrade, suspend, or restrict Israel\u2019s participation in any way, it should not receive a cent from the American taxpayer. We have to stand by our strongest ally in the Middle East and really push back against these deliberate, antisemitic attempts to punish Israel for simply defending its own existence.\u201d\n\nSenator Jon Barrasso said, \u201cAmerica must stand with Israel, one of our strongest allies. The United States must use all of our influence and resources to protect the status of Israel at the United Nations (UN). The Palestinian Authority\u2019s efforts to downgrade Israel will be met with serious and substantial consequences. UN agencies that restrict Israel\u2019s participation should not receive American tax dollars.\u201d\n\nSenator Pete Ricketts said, \u201cThe United States will not stand by and allow the rampant antisemitism at the United Nations to go unchallenged. Downgrading Israel\u2019s membership at the UN should be seen as an attack on an American ally. Should the UN EMBRACE THIS DIPLOMATIC TERRORISM, the United States will respond accordingly and must end it\u2019s support for the UN system.\u201d\n\nSenator John Kennedy said, \u201cThe U.N. has failed to pass any resolution to condemn the October 7 terrorists, yet the Palestinian delegation has tried to delegitimize Israel by introducing radical resolutions. Even though the U.N.\u2019s policies often run against American interests, we remain its biggest funder. We shouldn\u2019t send American tax dollars to groups that demonize our strongest democratic ally in the Middle East while elevating terrorist-sympathizers and the Palestinian Authority.\u201d\n\nSenator Mike Crapo said, \u201cIsrael\u2019s enemies are trying to manipulate the United Nations to accomplish their misguided goals. Any moves by the United Nations to restrict Israel\u2019s participation would conflict with American values and global interests. American taxpayers should have no part in funding international bodies that threaten the diplomatic security of our ally.\u201d\n\nSenator Shelley Moore Capito said, \u201cThe UN and its agencies have increasingly become a platform for anti-Israel forces to target the world\u2019s only Jewish state. At the same time, countries like Iran and Russia have been free to maintain their status while launching ballistic missiles at their neighbors. If this ridiculous project to downgrade the membership of Israel\u2014a free, democratic country and rightful member state\u2014moves forward in the UN, the U.S. has no choice but to finally withdraw all support from a failed institution.\u201d\n\nSenator Marco Rubio said, \u201cThe United Nations weakens its credibility by giving credence to the Palestinian Authority\u2019s antisemitic initiatives. Such outrageous actions do nothing to advance peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Time and time again, the United Nations has insulted the democratic Jewish State of Israel and its citizens with outlandish claims. It\u2019s simple: America should not fund any organization that upholds anti-Jewish hatred and undermines our strongest ally in the Middle East.\u201d\n\nSenator Joni Ernst said, \u201cAs Israel is under attack on all fronts, the UN is shamefully considering supporting efforts by Iran and its proxy terror groups to delegitimize the Jewish state. This undermines its credibility and so-called commitment to peace and security. We cannot allow taxpayer dollars to fund an entity, like the UN, that chooses terrorists over Israel while it is in a fight for its life.\u201d\n\nSenator Ron Johnson said, \u201cIsrael is doing exactly what America would do \u2013 defend itself from brutal terrorists. The fact that this effort to downgrade Israel\u2019s status in the UN is even under consideration casts doubt on the legitimacy of the entire UN system and is an unacceptable betrayal of America\u2019s principal ally in the Middle East.\u201d\n\nSenator Markwayne Mullin said, \u201cThe United States must end funding to the UN if they cave to the Palestinian Authority and downgrade or restrict the State of Israel\u2019s participation in any way. Senate Republicans will not allow American taxpayer dollars to fund organizations that undermine the authority and autonomy of the only democracy in the Middle East. I\u2019m glad to support this common sense legislation.\u201d\n\nSenator Ted Budd said, \u201cThe world needs to stand on the side of Israel as it eliminates the terrorist threat from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. If an international body like the United Nations allows the Palestinian Authority and the PLO to downgrade Israel\u2019s UN status, then the United States should cease its financial support of the organization.\u201d\n\nSenator Susan Collins said, \u201cAny attempt to diminish Israel\u2019s status at the United Nations must be met with forceful condemnation by the United States. Congress has continually supported Israel\u2019s right to self-defense, and this bill will reaffirm that right while also providing the United States the ability to punish UN agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend, or otherwise restrict the participation of the State of Israel.\u201d\n\nSenator Josh Hawley said, \u201cUnelected bureaucrats at the UN have no business downgrading Israel\u2019s status anywhere, and the United States must not stand idly by while it happens. This legislation would help cut off U.S. taxpayer dollars that UN globalists use to silence one of America\u2019s greatest allies\u2014because now, more than ever, the United States must stand with Israel.\u201d\n\nSenator James Lankford said, \u201cIsrael deserves to have the world\u2019s full support in their defense against unspeakable terrorism. Our greatest ally in the Middle East has faced vicious attacks since their founding in 1948, but the latest all-out assault from the Iranian regime and their terrorist proxies intends to wipe Israel off the map. I will not walk away from Israel as the world tries to justify terrorism.\u201d\n\nSenator John Thune said, \u201cAttempts to weaken Israel's standing on the world stage will continue to be met with unwavering opposition. The United States stands firmly with Israel as it fights to defend itself, and I'm grateful to Sen. Risch for leading this effort to ensure there\u2019s accountability if Israel\u2019s membership at any UN entity is downgraded or restricted in any way.\u201d\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nReports indicate that the Palestinian Authority (PA) will attempt to downgrade Israel\u2019s status at the UN.\n\nThe PA is able to do this after the UN General Assembly passed a biased resolution which enhanced the PA\u2019s status at the United Nations on May 10, 2024.\n\nFollowing that vote, Ranking Member Risch led 24 Senate colleagues in introducing the No Official Palestine Entry (NOPE) Act, legislation to update existing funding prohibitions in law that would cause the United States to cut off assistance to entities that give additional rights and privileges to the Palestinian Authority.\n\nThe Stand with Israel Act would cut off U.S. funding to UN agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend, or otherwise restrict the participation of the State of Israel. The bill is modeled after the current prohibition of funding to any UN entities that elevate the status of the Palestinian Authority to a member state.\n\nText of the Stand with Israel Act can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-03-30T11:08:25Z"]], "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.rickscott.senate.gov/2024/10/sen-rick-scott-joins-sen-jim-risch-to-lead-26-colleagues-in-introducing-stand-with-israel-act-to-combat-israel-s-persecution-at-un"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8524961303919554, "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"}