Security Cooperation Act of 2010

S.3847
Introduced: 
September 27, 2010
111
Second
October 8, 2010
Became Public Law

1 cosponsor

This law allows expedited arms sales to Israel by reducing the amount of time Congress has to review and approve each sale after it is proposed by the president. This is the same review period given to NATO members. Arms sales above a certain dollar amount are required by law to be reported to Congress, which may then pass a joint resolution forbidding it. Further, the bill gives the president the authority to provide Israel with ‘obsolete or surplus items’ from U.S. weapons stockpiles at Israeli military bases. These war reserve stockpiles were established in 1990 and are intended for use either by the U.S. military or by Israel in an emergency situation. Israel was granted access to the stockpile during the 2006 war with Lebanon when its ammunition stocks began to run low.

The weapons stored in Israel were valued at a congressionally authorized ceiling of $800 m. in 2010, and this bill permits an increase in that amount to $1.2 b. by 2012. The types and quantities of weapons and ordinance to be added are subject to negotiations between the U.S. and Israeli militaries. Missiles, armored vehicles, aerial ammunition, and artillery ordnance are currently stored there.

Authority to transfer weapons to Israel had lapsed in 2008 and is granted here for only eight years. Any transfers are to be made in exchange for concessions to be negotiated by the secy. of defense that are equal to the market value of the weapons received by Israel. The president is required to notify Congress of any items transferred and the concessions received in exchange for them.

See also: related measures H. J. Res. 99 of 11/18/10 and H. J. Res. 124 of 12/15/10

Became public law 111-266 (9/28/10 passed in House by voice vote; 9/27/10 passed in Senate by unanimous consent).

More info

For more information, Click Here to visit this measure’s page at congress.gov.

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