Washington (February 4, 2019) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement after voting against the motion to invoke cloture on S.1, Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act of 2019.

“The Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movement fundamentally challenges Israel’s right to exist and prosper, and that is wrong,” said Senator Markey. “I stand firm with our ally Israel. I voted to proceed with a vigorous debate on the underlying legislation that I originally co-sponsored, but Republican Senate leadership manipulated the bill text without warning by inserting unconstitutional language in order to divide Senate Democrats for political purposes. Israel should never be treated as a political football. That is why I cannot vote to end debate without real opportunities to amend the current legislation. I will continue to support efforts to ensure Israel prospers, but I will not support this legislation without significant changes before a vote on final passage.”

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