As tense situations in the Middle East continue to escalate, Congress went back into session just days after I returned from a 10-day House Armed Services Committee (HASC) fact-finding Congressional Delegation to the region.
Our delegation made stops in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco as we met with leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and President Abdel al-Sisi of Egypt. In each country we visited, we also met with United States Embassy staff and U.S. Defense officials regarding local defense and economic issues.
Congresswoman Hartzler meets with Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel during her CODEL trip to the Middle East
Terrorism, in general, and the march of ISIL toward an Islamic caliphate in the Middle East, in particular, are major concerns for our hosts. They are also keeping close watch on terrorist threats from Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East, and Boko Haram in Africa. The officials we met are looking to the United States for clear leadership in dealing with terrorism.
We cannot sit back as another September 11th-type terrorist attack is potentially in the works. We must recognize that ISIL is more than a regional threat. It poses an immediate threat to U.S. national security and to our allies throughout the world. The U.S. must work with allies in the Middle East to form a coalition to destroy ISIL before it gets a stranglehold in regions of Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere. The world is at risk of attack from these terrorists. We must be proactive and assume a leadership role in confronting this threat.
In addition to the Congressional Delegation, I attended several briefings this week, both classified and unclassified, on the issues in the Middle East. I have prepared a slide presentation on what I have learned about the threats and history of ISIL, as well as potential strategies being proposed in Washington to address this crisis. I want to share this information with you and I invite you to join me for this presentation onSeptember 22nd at 7:00 pm at the Harrisonville Community Center. Light refreshments will be provided. I hope you can join me for this timely and informative presentation.
Finally, I was pleased to join a bipartisan group of Representatives to pass the Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act, H.R. 5078, which I co-sponsor, to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from enforcing a proposed rule that would redefine “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. This federal government overreach is so wide-ranging that it would restrict farming and construction by allowing the EPA to regulate almost any “water”, including ditches, which might eventually flow into a navigable waterway. The fact is that many of these ditches that are almost always dry and might hold water only one day a year. This legislation is an important step in restoring common sense and certainty for farmers and manufacturers who contribute greatly to America’s economic growth. I urge the Senate to take up this legislation which is supported by both Republicans and Democrats, pass it, and send it to President Obama.
We also passed H.R. 3522, the Employee Health Care Protection Act. You may remember that he President famously promised that, “If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period.” This is a bill a bill that would help American workers keep their health plans and fulfill the president’s broken promise. This legislation would give Americans in the group insurance market the opportunity to keep their policies in 2014 through 2019. I assure you that I remain committed to helping those Americans that have been hurt by this onerous law.
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