WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), joined his freshmen colleagues in sending a letter to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stating that, during the spending debate, the Senate fully honor America’s commitment to Israel.  

Led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), the letter signed by all 11 Republican Senators encourages our commitments to our staunchest ally in the Middle East, especially in the midst of unrest and heightened uncertainty across the region.  

In the letter, the senators wrote, “As freshmen Senators, we campaigned on the need to restore fiscal responsibility to our government. The current path is fiscally unsustainable and will have negative consequences for economic growth and prosperity. As we work to reduce wasteful government spending, we recognize that providing for the national defense is a constitutional responsibility of the federal government. Therefore, we must continue to prioritize the safety of our nation and the security of our allies, including Israel.”

The letter continues, “[I]n light of the ongoing threats from Hezbollah, Hamas and a nuclear Iran, we believe that U.S. security assistance to Israel will continue to be a key national security interest.”  

The full text of the signed letter is below: 

April 1, 2011 
Senator Mitch McConnell
Republican Leader
S-230
United States Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
 
Dear Senator McConnell,

As freshmen Senators, we campaigned on the need to restore fiscal responsibility to our government. The current path is fiscally unsustainable and will have negative consequences for economic growth and prosperity.  As we work to reduce wasteful government spending, we recognize that providing for the national defense is a constitutional responsibility of the federal government.  Therefore, we must continue to prioritize the safety of our nation and the security of our allies, including Israel. 

In recent weeks, we have witnessed a succession of mass protests and turmoil in the Middle East.  While we hope these events will open the region to freedom and democracy, the final outcome of this upheaval is far from clear.  Given the uncertainty of these events, and in light of the ongoing threats from Hezbollah, Hamas and a nuclear Iran, we believe that U.S. security assistance to Israel will continue to be a key national security interest. 

Therefore, as the Senate considers our foreign affairs priorities, we recommend fully honoring America’s commitment to Israel under the U.S.-Israeli Memorandum of Understanding.