RELEASE: Gottheimer, Garbarino Introduce Bipartisan U.S.-Israel Anti-Killer Drone Act to Combat Increasing Drone Attacks

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Andrew Garbarino (NY-2) introduced the bipartisan U.S.-Israel Anti-Killer Drone Act to boost cooperation between the United States and our key ally Israel in developing technology to counter “killer drones.” The bipartisan legislation, which comes amid increased unmanned drone attacks in the Middle East, helps fill gaps identified by the U.S. Department of Defense by authorizing cooperative projects intended to thwart small unmanned aerial systems — often supplied by Iran — that threaten both American and Israeli national security.

“Iran’s arsenal of killer drones has only grown in recent years, and attacks across the Middle East have killed and wounded Americans — showing once again why the threat of terrorism remains so pervasive. We continue to see Iran-backed terrorist groups target innocent civilians which is why we must take concrete action to counter their deadly drone capabilities. This legislation is about protecting American and Israeli lives,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), a member of the House Intelligence Committee. “This bipartisan effort is vitally important to Israel’s security, our security, and America’s interests in the region. It’s key to our fight against terror.”

“Time and again, the Iranian regime has used unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to continue its destabilizing behavior, threatening not only the broader Middle East region, but also American troops, interests, and our greatest ally in the region, Israel,” said Congressman Andrew Garbarino (NY-2). ”I am proud to co-lead the U.S.-Israel Anti-Killer Drone Act, which would further enhance cooperation between the United States and Israel to counter the threat of these drones and I applaud Rep. Gottheimer for his leadership on this issue.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has developed an arsenal of highly lethal drones, which it is using to target the State of Israel, attack U.S. partners throughout the Middle East, and fuel Russia’s war against Ukraine. The U.S.-Israel Anti-Killer Drone Act will strengthen collaborative efforts between the United States and Israel to counter these deadly weapons. We commend Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Andrew Garbarino for their bipartisan work to address this growing threat,” said FDD Action.

View the bill text HERE.

The bipartisan U.S.-Israel Anti-Killer Drone Act is supported by Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Andrew Garbarino (NY-2),  Bill Johnson (OH-6), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Bruce Westerman (AR-4), Dan Meuser (PA-9), David Joyce (OH-14), David Trone (MD-6), David Valadao (CA-22), Jared Golden (ME-2), Jason Smith (MO-8), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Mike Gallagher (WI-8), Nancy Mace (SC-1), Nicholas LaLota (NY-1), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Scott Peters (CA-50), Thomas Kean (NJ-7), Wiley Nickel (NC-13), Don Bacon (NE-2), Jason Crow (CO-6), Don Davis (NC-1), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Steny Hoyer (MD-5), John James (MI-10), Dusty Johnson (SD-At-Large), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Brian Mast (FL-21), John Rutherford (FL-5), Hillary Scholten (MI-3), Elissa Slotkin (MI-7), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Mike Thompson (CA-4), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL- 25), Brad Wenstrup (OH-2), Susan Wild (PA-7), Anthony D’Esposito (NY-4), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), and Brittany Pettersen (CO-7).

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