Texas governor Greg Abbott, a first-term Republican, visited Israel in January: “It’s one thing to tell you that we stand with Israel, it’s another thing to show it.” ,A Few Minutes With Texas Governor Greg Abbott,“It’s one thing to tell you that we stand with Israel, it’s another thing to show it.”
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As part of the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran the State Department dispatched a letter in April to governors of all 50 states asking them to reconsider any laws on their books that sanction Tehran or discourage businesses in their states from conducting business with Iran. This request did not sit well with Texas governor Greg Abbott a first-term Republican who visited Israel in January and stopped off in New York last week where he outlined his opposition to the Obama administration’s pressure.
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To help you understand the magnitude of this Texas is the 12th-largest economy in the world and our state domestic product exceeds $1.6 trillion making this a commitment as powerful economically to that of Australia or Canada. When we take part in economic divestment it carries quite a bit of economic heft and also symbolism. It’s one thing to tell you that we stand with Israel it’s another thing to show it. The president made a request dated April 8 for every state to join in the administration’s removal of sanctions and divestment against Iran. I responded with a letter of my own making it clear to the president that Texas will have no part of this effort. We will not only continue our divestment policy [versus Iran] we will also expand it. Sanctions aside we are also encouraging and supporting other states in joining us in this effort.
Congress empowered each state to make its decision whether or not to continue the divestiture process and so we will be reaching out to all 49 governors in a bipartisan way asking them to support this principal. I view a nuclear Iran as a potential existential threat not only to Israel but to nations across the globe including the USA. It makes no sense to me that the USA would play accomplice to arming and funding a nation that has repeatedly shown an unwillingness to comply with any of the demands expected of them and which expresses a desire to eradicate Israel. Texas will take the lead in sending the message that we support a safer Israel and hopefully others will follow suit.
Our authority to do so was granted by Congress not the president. All the president is doing is asking us which is all he can do. If the president does push harder on this and we continue to push back it almost embarrasses the president making him look weak and impotent — as though he can’t do anything — because the reality is he cannot. He can’t compel us to act any differently. In fact what is happening raises a red flag with regards to the president because he assumed power he did not have. The way it’s supposed to work is through a treaty process and the president skirted the rules of the process and took power away from Congress just one of countless ways in which he has changed the balance of powers in Washington D.C.
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