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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The United States and Israel have a long history of |
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being strong allies, sharing many mutually beneficial values and |
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interests; and |
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WHEREAS, Europe needs additional sources of natural gas, and |
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the United States has repeatedly urged Europe to wean itself off |
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Russian natural gas and to pursue broader interests in the Middle |
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East; and |
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WHEREAS, The proposed Eastern Mediterranean gas pipeline, |
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which would connect the natural gas fields of Israel to southern |
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Europe by way of Cyprus and Greece, has previously had bipartisan |
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support in the United States; as vice president under Barack Obama, |
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Joe Biden was a vocal supporter of the project, and in 2020, with |
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the backing of former president Donald Trump's administration, |
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Israel, Cyprus, and Greece signed an agreement aiming to complete |
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the $6 billion pipeline by 2025; and |
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WHEREAS, In January 2022, President Joe Biden informed the |
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countries that the United States was withdrawing its support for |
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the project, citing environmental concerns as his administration |
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attempts to move away from fossil fuels; and |
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WHEREAS, Natural gas is an important low-emissions fuel for |
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improving human life, and Israel has abundant natural gas reserves |
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offshore, in excess of what is needed for its own domestic use; the |
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completion of the Eastern Mediterranean gas pipeline from Israel to |
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southern Europe would be a benefit to the region and to all of the |
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countries involved in the project; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the federal government to support |
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construction of the Eastern Mediterranean gas pipeline; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |