Washington, D.C. —Today, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, introduced the United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2024 to advance and deepen our strategic defense partnership. 

Jordan has long been a reliable partner and has worked alongside the U.S. in countering our adversaries and ensuring security and stability in the Middle East. As such, it is in our shared national security interest for the U.S. to continue to support the strong U.S.-Jordan bilateral defense partnership. 

As Jordan faces increasing security and economic challenges, this important bipartisan legislation reinforces the United States’ ironclad commitment to Jordan’s stability and security by increasing economic support and military cooperation through streamlining defense sales, building on the Memorandum of Understanding, and expanding integrated air and missile defense architecture in coordination with other regional allies and partners.

In the House, the U.S.-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act is co-led with Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced companion legislation in June.

“The U.S.-Jordan partnership is critical to safeguarding our mutual national security interests in the Middle East from countering violent extremism and trafficking to deterring Iranian aggression,” said Ranking Member Phillips. “I am proud to introduce the U.S.-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act alongside Chair Wilson as we reinforce our commitment to strengthening the U.S.-Jordan partnership and to ensuring stability and security across the region.” 

“The aggression of the regime in Tehran continues to threaten U.S. national security interests in the region and beyond. The Kingdom of Jordan is a valued partner and it is critical to reinforce and bolster ongoing U.S. commitments,” said Chairman Wilson. “As the U.S. and our regional allies work together towards a peaceful Middle East, I am grateful to co-lead this bill and strengthen our partnership with the Kingdom of Jordan to counter terrorist and extremist threats and deter aggression from the deadly octopus of the Iranian Regime.”

Specifically, the U.S.-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2024 would:

• Include Jordan among the countries eligible for certain streamlined defense sales, licensing agreements, and technical assistance under the Arms Export Control Act for three years;   
• Authorize the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to set up a program to enhance U.S.-Jordan cooperation to counter air, missile, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) threats as well as to bolster participation in multinational integrated air and missile defense architecture to protect its people, infrastructure, and territory;
• Authorize the Department of State to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Jordan to increase economic support and military cooperation after the current agreement expires in 2029; and 
• Express the sense of Congress that the United States commitment to Jordan’s stability and security is ironclad and that expeditious consideration of certifications of letters of offer to sell defense articles and services to Jordan is fully consistent with U.S. security and foreign policy interests and the objectives of peace and security.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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