This week the Senate is dealing with S. Con. Res. 11. "An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2016 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2017 through 2025."  This annual exercise is nicknamed a “vote-a-rama,” with members permitted to offer as many amendments as they like on pretty much any topic, so long as they append the magic words at the end of every amendment: “provided that such legislation would not increase the deficit over either the period of the total of fiscal years 2016 through 2020 or the period of the total of fiscal years 2016 through 2025.”

In past years, we have not seen a lot of Middle East provisions offered to the annual budget resolution – possibly because Senators prefer to attach Middle East-related amendments to binding, must-pass legislation like the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, or the Defense Authorization bill; or because there were stricter rules governing amendments; or just maybe because at no time in recent memory has the Senate (or some of its members) behaved in such a reckless and at times nutty-as-a squirrel-turd manner as is the case today.

In this context, it comes as no surprise to see lots of Middle East-related amendments being offered to S. Con. Res. 11.  Below is a summary of these amendments – it will be updated if more are submitted.  It should be kept in mind that some/most/all of these may never be voted on and that in any case, they are non-binding; however, they are important nonetheless as statements of congressional intent and as efforts to corner members into taking a more consequential vote on binding legislation later.

Rachel Tabachnick / The Daily Beast (March 22, 2015)
Netanyahu and Christian Zionists have long enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. But with a new, more radical sect ascending within the movement, the marriage may be in trouble. Read More >

1.  Bills, Resolutions & Letters
2. Congress Congratulates Bibi
3. Hearings   
4. Members on the Record

1.  Bills, Resolutions & Letters
2.  Surprise! Bibi Uses Congress Appearance in Campaign Ad
3.  The Senate GOP47’s Letter to the Leaders of Iran
4.  Members Weigh in on Senate GOP47’s Iran Letter
5. Hearings
6.  Members on the Record (on things other than Senate GOP47 Iran letter)

Yesh Din (May 17, 2015)
Finds that, since 2011, alongside the official, well-known track for government approval and advancement of building plans in the settlements, Israel has been advancing the establishment of new settlements and expanding the areas under its control in the West Bank using a secret parallel track of retroactively approving dozens of illegal outposts. PDF >

Yesterday saw the publication of an open letter, signed by 47 Republican Senators and addressed to the leaders of Iran, with a simple message: any agreement you make with U.S. President Barack Obama over your nuclear program will not be worth the paper it’s written on; we can block it now or kill it once Obama is out of office.  Bloomberg journalist Josh Rogin, who broke the story, stated unequivocally that the letter is meant “to discourage the Iranian regime from signing a deal.” The letter was spearheaded by Sen. Cotton (R-AR), who has long made clear his opposition to any Iran negotiations; signers include including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Sunday, March 15th, 11:30am at Westmoreland Congregational UCC

APN's Rabbi Alana Suskin spoke with Ambassador Warren Clark,  Commissioner Mai Abdulrahman, with the panel moderated by  Alton Frye.

1.  Bills, Resolutions & Letters
2.  Oversight over Iran Deal vs. Scuttling a Deal – the Fight in the Senate
3.  Members Weigh in on Bibi Speech
4.  Hearings
5. Members on the Record (on things other than Bibi speech)

Ahead of Israel's March 17 election, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Washington on a mission to undermine President Obama's Iran policy. This, his latest and greatest diplomatic affront, has starkly revealed the degree to which many here have tired of his shtick.

But what may come as a surprise is that Israelis are sick of Bibi too.

By Daniel Levy (published by APN with permission from the author)

Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu can claim a victory of sorts by having set the agenda and received wall to wall coverage of his congressional speech and by succeeding in making his message rather than empty seats the story.  The speech is likely to play well at home and his re-election prospects will not have been harmed by today’s events. But that is probably where the good news ends.