Democrat Florida Congressman Ted Deutch is adding another committee to his schedule as he has just been tapped to head the U.S. House Middle East, North Africa and International Terrorism Subcommittee. This is in addition to also being the chairman of the U.S. House Ethics Committee.
Deutch made the announcement on Tuesday, saying that he is “deeply honored to lead this important subcommittee over a region of such significance to our national security and global stability. Now more than ever, Congress must present a clear foreign policy vision. From humanitarian crises in Syria and Yemen to the destabilizing threats of Iran and ISIS, we cannot afford to turn our attention or our resources away.”
Speaking on the goals of the committee moving forward, Deutch expressed that they will “continue our record of bipartisanship in standing firmly for our allies, promoting human rights and democratic values, and going after terror groups and their sponsors. We will instill confidence in our allies and be resolute against our adversaries. And after two years of the Trump administration’s incoherent and often reckless foreign policy, our panel will work to restore American global leadership.”
This comes at a time when, on Monday, on a 74-19 vote, the Senate passed a bill that would “bolster the U.S.-Israel strategic alliance by authorizing security assistance to Israel over a 10-year period.”
Deutch’s office noted that “the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism Subcommittee covers the region spanning from Morocco to Iran and Yemen to Israel. The subcommittee’s purview includes international terrorist threats, international programs to prevent and combat terrorism, and efforts to bring international terrorists to justice.”
Deutch has been a strong supporter of Israel and Jordan, and he broke with President Obama on the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran. In addition, he worked closely with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen when she was the chairwoman of the subcommittee.
