ANTI-BDS LABELING ACT

On 2024-09-18, Representative Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL-10) delivered a floor speech titled "ANTI-BDS LABELING ACT" in the House. The speech addressed immigration and also covered the environment, foreign policy. It referenced legislation including HR5179, S76, S2020, among other bills.

ANTI-BDS LABELING ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 145 (Wednesday, September 18, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 145 (Wednesday, September 18, 2024)] [House] [Pages H5350-H5353] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ANTI-BDS LABELING ACT Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1455, I call up the bill (H.R. 5179) to require the maintenance of the country of origin markings for imported goods produced in the West Bank or Gaza, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1455, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means, printed in the bill, shall be considered as adopted and the bill, as amended, is considered read. The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows: H.R. 5179 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Anti-BDS Labeling Act''. SEC. 2. CONTINUATION IN EFFECT OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN MARKING POLICY FOR IMPORTED GOODS PRODUCED IN THE WEST BANK OR GAZA. The policy of the Government of the United States with respect to country of origin marking of imported goods produced in the West Bank or Gaza, notice of which was published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Federal Register on December 23, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 83984), shall remain in effect until repealed by an Act of Congress. SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS TO RESCIND OR CHANGE THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN MARKING POLICY FOR IMPORTED GOODS PRODUCED IN THE WEST BANK OR GAZA. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for the Department of State or U.S. Customs and Border Protection on or after the date of the enactment of this Act may be obligated or expended to prepare or promulgate any policy; guidance; regulation; notice; or Executive order or to otherwise implement, administer, or enforce any policy that rescinds or changes the policy of the Government of the United States with respect to country of origin marking of imported goods produced in the West Bank or Gaza, notice of which was published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Federal Register on December 23, 2020 (85 Fed. Reg. 83984). The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means, or their respective designees. The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider) each will control 30 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Smith). General Leave Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in [[Page H5351]] which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Missouri? There was no objection. Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Anti-BDS Labeling Act introduced by my good friend and Committee on Ways and Means colleague, Ms. Tenney. For years, far-left progressives have targeted Israel through the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. In fact, many of the recent campus protests that we saw that came in the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks on Israel shut down elite universities to try to force university endowments to divest from Israel. For these protesters, no step is too far to achieve their goals. The incidents of harassment, bullying, and intimidation of Jewish students are at this point too numerous to count. The Ways and Means Committee will not stop holding these elite universities accountable until every Jewish student feels safe on campus. This small, loud minority does not speak for the vast majority of Americans. Let me be clear: America stands with Israel. Under President Trump, the alliance between the United States and Israel was stronger than ever before. He moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. He brokered the Abraham Accords, sending a message to Iran that Israel does not stand alone. He canceled President Obama's disastrous Iran nuclear deal. The list goes on and on. One of the items on that list of accomplishments was a move to counter the same BDS movement fueling the chaos on college campuses. In 2020, the Trump administration's Customs and Border Protection clarified the labeling of items imported from Israel. Items coming from regions of the West Bank under Israeli authority must be labeled as coming from Israel, just as labels on items coming from Hamas- controlled Gaza or areas of the West Bank outside of Israeli control must reflect its origin as coming from one of those two areas. This bill before us codifies this Trump rule into law and bans the use of any Federal dollars to reverse or alter it. American families should have this information in order to buy products that support Israel's economy, particularly in a time of war. Conversely, people should know if an item comes from a region controlled by terrorists that kidnapped and killed their fellow Americans. Public reports earlier this year indicated that the Biden- Harris administration considered reversing this policy. Once again, Mr. Speaker, Democrats are putting the demands of radical progressives ahead of our best ally and our largest trading partner in the Middle East. Mr. Speaker, I urge my Democratic colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation and join us in empowering Americans looking to show their support for Israel. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose H.R. 5179, the so-called Anti-BDS Labeling Act. Let me start with an observation. Since October 7, President Biden, the United States Congress, and the United States people have overwhelmingly stood in support of Israel as they fight an existential war on multiple fronts. President Biden has stood with Israel longer than any U.S. President in a time of war throughout Israel's 76-year history. Let me also be clear that the BDS movement is inherently anti- Semitic. It is a harmful, discriminatory effort aimed at delegitimizing Israel, the democratic Jewish State of Israel, and undermining Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. I will agree with my colleague Chairman Smith, when he says there is no place for harassment or intimidation of Jewish students or, for that matter, any students on campus for what they believe in. The protesters are loud. They scream. They yell. They have yelled outside my house in the middle of the night. Being loud does not make them right. It just means they are loud. So while this body here, Republicans and Democrats, stands united in opposing BDS, today's debate is much less about genuine support of Israel and much more about political posture. {time} 1530 I have consistently opposed BDS and worked to ensure U.S. policy does not endorse discriminatory aims. However, H.R. 5179 is a symbolic gesture with no real path forward in the Senate. It does little to combat the global BDS effort and distracts from the meaningful action required to strengthen our partnership with Israel and promote a peaceful future for the region and all the people in the region. This issue isn't just about geopolitics or trade. It is about consumer transparency. Americans want to know under what conditions their products are made. Whether it is Israeli law in a settlement, Palestinian Authority control, or formerly Hamas-controlled Gaza, consumers deserve to understand the governance and standards behind the products they buy. The lack of clarity of the current framework does not meet their demand for nuanced information about environment, labor, human rights, or the quality of inspections of their purchases on products from anywhere around the world including within Israel. H.R. 5179 fails to address these concerns. It is a short-term political move that ignores the complexity of the region and the demand for thoughtful policies. This bill won't help consumers make informed decisions, nor will it move the needle on the broader challenges facing Israel. More broadly, it doesn't help dismantle Hamas or rescue the hostages and restore a political horizon for a two-state solution. While I share the goal with my colleagues of countering BDS, H.R. 5179 does not achieve that. It is about showmanship, not about substance. We need real bipartisan solutions that reflect the region's complexities and offer the transparency consumers demand. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and focus on actions that will make a real difference. Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney). Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 5179, the Anti-BDS Labeling Act. The Anti-BDS Labeling Act would codify the Trump administration's 2020 U.S. Customs and Border Protection rule titled: ``Country of Origin Marking of Products from the West Bank and Gaza.'' In 1997, the Palestinian Authority requested that the U.S. require all goods made in Judea and Samaria, and Gaza to be labeled as ``Made in West Bank/Gaza.'' This not only recognized Judea and Samaria, and Gaza as one territorial unit, which is inaccurate, but also failed to recognize that areas of Judea and Samaria are governed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The Trump administration's rule required goods made in Area C of Judea and Samaria, which is fully controlled by Israel under the Oslo Accords, to be labeled as ``Made in Israel.'' Under this

Referenced legislation: HRES1455, HRES1455, HR5179