(March 26, 2019 / JNS) U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urged the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill on Tuesday the upper chamber passed last month that, if enacted, would impose fresh sanctions on Syria, boost security cooperation with Israel and Jordan, and allow state and local governments the right to punish state or local contractors from engaging in boycotting Israel.
It also includes an amendment that warned against a “precipitous withdrawal” of U.S. troops from Syria or Afghanistan.
“I believe it would pass by a very large bipartisan majority if given a chance for a vote,” said McConnell.
“I think the president would sign it,” he added.
McConnell came down on Democrats for criticizing the anti-BDS component of the legislation, labeling their aversion as “their allergy to this particular legislation,” adding that it’s “perplexing.”
“Our legislation would help American communities boycott the BDS boycotters,” he said. “The outcry from the anti-Israel crowd has apparently paralyzed the House and scared them away from even considering our legislation.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told JNS last month that he hopes to move along the legislation.
“[House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman] Eliot Engel and I are talking about it, and hopefully, we’ll move something soon,” he said.