Major Increase in Support for East Med Partnership Following PSEKA Cyprus Conference

WASHINGTON, DC, June 21, 2019 – A major increase in support in the US Congress for the Eastern Mediterranean Partnership – of Greece, Cyprus, Israel and the US – has followed the high-level lobbying at the 35th Annual PSEKA Cyprus Conference June 4-6 in Washington, DC.

Two weeks ago, 41 influential US Senators and Members (listed below) met with conference participants who urged each to support the Eastern Mediterranean Partnership legislation in the House and Senate. Senators Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio introduced S 1102, the “Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act,” in the US Senate on April 10. This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on May 22 as HR 2913 by Congressmen Ted Deutch, Gus Bilirakis and David Cicilline. This conference was hosted by PSEKA and Co-Hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), HALC, CEH, FCAO, AHEPA, AHI, the Cyprus-US Chamber of Commerce and HANC

When our conference began, the House bill had 4 cosponsors and the Senate bill had 2. Since then, 23 Members and 2 Senators who met with us at the PSEKA Cyprus Conference have cosponsored. Below is a list of all Members and Senators who have cosponsored these bills so far.

In addition, we welcome the following major steps forward for legislation supporting this Partnership:

  • Two days ago, the full US House of Representatives passed the following language calling for US funding to institutionalize the Eastern Mediterranean Partnership:

“The Committee appreciates the Secretary of State’s presence at the sixth trilateral summit between Cyprus, Greece, and Israel, and supports the joint declaration made to increase regional cooperation, support energy independence, and to defend against external malign influences in the region. The Committee directs the Secretary of State to report to the Committees on Appropriations not later than 45 days after the enactment of this Act on available Department of State programs and mechanisms to support further cooperation between the United States and partners in the eastern Mediterranean, and encourages the Secretary of State to provide resources to support annual joint dialogues with officials, including career government personnel, of the Departments of State, Defense and Energy and their counterparts in the Governments of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel.”

  • Next week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will be voting to approve the Menendez-Rubio East Med Act.

House Cosponsors of HR 2913 (as of 6/21/19)

NOTE: Those Members in bold cosponsored as a result of the PSEKA Cyprus Conference

Rep. Deutch, Ted [D-FL] – author

  1. Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL] – original cosponsor
  2. Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI] – original cosponsor
  3. Rep. Crist, Charlie [D-FL]
  4. Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian [R-PA]
  5. Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL]
  6. Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ]
  7. Rep. Kennedy, Joe [D-MA]
  8. Rep. Krishnamoorthy, Raja [D-IL]
  9. Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA]
  10. Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY]
  11. Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY]
  12. Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY]
  13. Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. [D-NJ]
  14. Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH]
  15. Rep. Payne, Donald [D-NJ]
  16. Rep. Rice, Kathleen M. [D-NY]
  17. Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL]
  18. Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH]
  19. Rep. Sarbanes, John P. [D-MD]
  20. Rep. Schakowsky, Jan D. [D-IL]
  21. Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]
  22. Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL]
  23. Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA]
  24. Rep. Sires, Albio [D-NJ]
  25. Rep. Smith, Chris [R-NJ]
  26. Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL]
  27. Rep. Suozzi, Tom [D-NY]
  28. Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV]
  29. Rep. Zeldin, Lee M. [R-NY]

Senate Cosponsors of S. 1102 (as of 6/21/19)

NOTE: Those Senators in bold cosponsored as a result of the PSEKA Cyprus Conference

Sen. Menendez, Bob [D-NJ] – author

  1. Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] – original cosponsor
  2. Sen. Coons, Chris [D-DE]
  3. Sen. Peters, Gary [D-MI]
  4. Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]

Some of the 41 US Senators and Members of Congress who met with conference participants on June 4-6, included:

In the US House of Representatives:

Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY)
Chairwoman, House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY)
Chairman, House Energy Committee, Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Chairman, House Middle East Subcommittee, Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL)
Chairwoman, House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subc., Congresswoman Lowey
Chairman, House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY)
Chairman, House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Chairman, House Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ)
Chairman, House Veterans Affairs Oversight Subc., Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)
Chairman, House Homeland Emergency Response Subc., Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ)
Ranking Member, House Global Human Rights Subc., Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ)
Ranking Member, House Foreign Affairs Oversight Subc., Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY)
Ranking Member, House Transportation Approps Subc., Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Congressional Hellenic Israeli Alliance (CHIA) / Co-Chair, Hellenic Caucus, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Hellenic Caucus, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
Candidate for President of the Untied States, Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH)
Members of the Leadership of the US House of Representatives, Congressmen David Cicilline (D-RI) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
All three authors of the House East Med Act (H.R. 2913)
Numerous Members – both Republicans and Democrats – from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Appropriations Committee, Armed Services Committee, Energy Committee, among others

In the US Senate:

Ranking Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Ranking Member, Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)
Ranking Member, Senate Homeland Security Committee, Senator Gary Peters (D-MI)
Candidate for President of the United States, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Members, Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chis Murphy (D-CT) and Chris Coons (D-DE)
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Members Ed Markey (D-MA), Murphy and Coons
Senate Armed Services Committee Members Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Peters