2024: Fitzpatrick Voted To Require The Defense Department To Review
Whether South Africa Engaged In Activities That Undermine United States
National Security And Foreign Policy Interests. In June 2024,
Fitzpatrick voted for , according to Congressional Quarterly, "amendment
no. 228 that would require the president, in consultation with the
secretaries of State and Defense, to certify to the congressional
foreign issues committees and release publicly an unclassified
determination stating whether South Africa has engaged in activities
that undermine U.S. national security or foreign policy interests. It
also would require a review of the bilateral relationship between the
U.S. and South Africa." The vote was on the amendment. The underlying
legislation was the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. The
House adopted the amendment by a vote of 272 to 144. [House Vote 277,
6/14/24; Congressional
Quarterly, 6/14/24;
Congressional Actions,
H.Amdt.996;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
8070]
- The Call For Review Came After South Africa Brought A Case To The
International Court Of Justice Accusing Israel Of Genocide And
Stemmed From Separate Stand-Alone Legislation. According to the
Middle East Eye, "Congressmen John James and Jared Moskowitz
introduced a bill last week in the US House of Representatives that
seeks to undergo a review of the bilateral relationship between the
United States and South Africa. The US-South Africa Bilateral
Relations Review Act would require a full review of the bilateral
relationship between the United States and South Africa, 'given
South Africa's recent positioning and coordination with America's
adversaries.' [...] The bill alleges that South Africa has a
history of siding with 'malign actors' and that its support for
Hamas goes back to 1994, when the African National Congress first
came to power, because South Africa has been 'consistently accusing
Israel of practicing apartheid'. South Africa has accused Israel of
genocide and in January took it to the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, which held hearings in response to the
accusation." [Middle East Eye,
2/12/24]