Last year, Sens. Ossoff and Lindsey Graham led bipartisan group of 34 U.S. Senators in successfully pushing Biden Admin to protect the key U.S. diplomatic & security post
In September, Sen. Ossoff introduced another bipartisan bill to strengthen the mission
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is continuing his work to address the crisis in the Middle East and protect American national security.
Today, Sens. Ossoff and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced the bipartisan USSC Emergency Supplemental Act, which would provide $10 million in emergency supplemental funding to the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) for Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The USSC is a joint, international, interagency office with Department of Defense servicemembers assigned to the State Department. Based in Jerusalem, the USSC serves as a crucial liaison between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and leads international coalition efforts in support of peace and stability, playing a crucial role supporting U.S. national security interests in Israel and the West Bank.
Last year, Sens. Ossoff and Graham successfully led a bipartisan group of 34 U.S. Senators urging the Biden Administration to maintain the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) position at the three-star rank.
“The U.S. Security Coordinator in Jerusalem, a three-star General, is a vital bridge between the U.S., the Israel Defense Force, and the Palestinian Authority. The war between Israel and Hamas gravely and imminently threatens stability in the West Bank. The office of the U.S. Security Coordinator has never been more important than it is today,” Sen. Ossoff said.
This September, Sens. Ossoff, Todd Young (R-IN), James Lankford (R-OK), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the bipartisan Middle East Security Coordination Act to strengthen and protect the USSC post by authorizing funding for the position for the next 5 years.
Last August, Axios reported the Pentagon was considering downgrading the USSC position to Colonel. Following the media report, Sens. Ossoff and Graham and their colleagues warned the move would undermine U.S. national security and risk peace and stability in Israel and the West Bank and urged the Administration to maintain the position.
Click here to read the bipartisan USSC Emergency Supplemental Act.
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