<div dir="ltr"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Senator Tammy Duckworth</strong> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:correspondence@duckworth.senate.gov" target="_blank">correspondence@duckworth.senate.gov</a>></span><br>Date: Thu, Feb 7, 2019 at 12:39 PM<br>Subject: Responding to your message<br></div><div><div style="text-align:center"><table style="width:785px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tbody><tr><td style="width:788px;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle"><div style="text-align:center"><table width="750" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center"><tbody><tr><td style="width:516px;height:159px" align="left"><br><div style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""><font color="#000000"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small"></span>Dear Neighbor,</font><br>
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<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><font color="#000000">Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts on S. 1, the Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019. I appreciate you taking the time to make me aware of your concerns on this important matter.</font></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12pt"><font color="#000000">As your Senator, I carefully consider all legislation that comes before the Senate for a vote. I must weigh the intent and effects of the full legislative package, as well as the merits of each component. The Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act combined four individual measures that would independently address: security aid to Israel initiated under the Obama Administration; support for our Jordanian allies’ fight against the Islamic State; sanctions against the Syrian financial system; and State and local initiatives concerning the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.</font></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12pt"><font color="#000000">Some votes are inherently more difficult than others, and no legislation is perfect. While I strongly oppose the BDS movement, I have long had concerns about the way the Combating BDS Act and similar legislation seeks to address the movement. Specifically, I am concerned that the bill as drafted could be interpreted to change longstanding U.S. policy towards Israeli settlement activity and the implications the bill has on domestic freedom of speech protections. <span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small"></span>The concerns regarding freedom of speech implications are rightly being litigated before Federal courts and would be subject to further debate and amendment in the House of Representatives, if that chamber even takes up the bill. This bill does not protect a state or local BDS law from being challenged in court by an individual on constitutional grounds.<span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small"> </span></font></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12pt"><font color="#000000">Ultimately however, my concerns with the Combating BDS Act did not outweigh the remaining majority of this legislation, which represent important measures to concretely support our allies and address serious national security concerns. This legislation would preserve Obama Administration international agreements that promote regional security through cooperation with our allies. It would also give the Trump Administration more tools to levy sanctions against human rights abusers in the Assad regime in Syria. That is why I joined a bipartisan group of senators to pass this bill by a vote of 77-23 on February 5, 2019.</font></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12pt"><font color="#000000">National security challenges facing our country will only grow in complexity and size in the coming years. <span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small"> </span>Whether countering the threat of terrorism, combating the proliferation of nuclear weapons or simply working together<span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small"> </span>to respond to major global challenges, effective international cooperation<span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:small"> </span> is more important than ever in advancing our core security interests overseas to make Americans safer at home.</font></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><font color="#000000">Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue. If you would like more information on my work in the Senate, please visit my website at <a href="http://www.duckworth.senate.gov" target="_blank">www.duckworth.senate.gov</a>. You can access my voting record and see what I am doing to address today’s most important issues. I hope that you will continue to share your views and opinions with me and let me know whenever I may be of assistance to you.</font></span></p>
<br></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000">Sincerely,</span>
<br></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Times"><span style="font-family:Times"><a id="m_-2349124964851911957m_622285685776188719m_-896390711181021441m_1293771651076297948m_8632304087726193305m_398852269497529187Signature" href="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&cid=SenDuckworth&crop=15210QQQ22019500QQQ7202301QQQ7487121&report_id=Signature&redirect=http%3a%2f%2fduckworth.senate.gov&redir_log=800154790113193" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/Customers/SenDuckworth/Duckworth.png"></a>
<br><span style="font-size:12pt">Tammy Duckworth<br></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Times;color:#000000">United States Senator</span></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Times;color:#000000"></span></div><p style="text-align:center">
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