On Sunday, October 19, at the Teaneck home of Peter and Ellen Tilem, Congressman Scott Garrett displayed his passion for a strong United States-Israel bond. During the two-hour NORPAC-sponsored event, Garrett greeted and conversed with around 25 guests before sharing his perspective on current issues that affect the United States and Israel.
Congressman Scott Garrett (R-NJ) of New Jersey’s 5th district, which includes Teaneck, is currently in a tight race in his bid for a seventh term in Congress against Democrat challenger Roy Cho. Garrett is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises.
Congressman Garrett is a strong supporter of continuing foreign aid to Israel and supports strong sanctions against Iran. “We need to have as strong sanctions as we possibly can against Iran,” said Garrett at the event, “The administration has a drip-drip effect of sanctions, slowly watering them down and extending deadlines.”
In the 113th Congress, Garrett introduced the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 2013. This legislation would require that the U.S. Embassy in Israel move from its current location in Tel Aviv to Israel’s legal capital, Jerusalem. He was also a co-sponsor of a House Resolution stating U.S. support for Israel as it faced indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza in July.
The Congressman expressed criticism of the current administration’s approach to foreign policy. “Our foreign policy has gone off a cliff,” said Garrett, “We’re extending our hands to enemies, and back of hands to our friends.” He believes that much of the turmoil in the Middle East can be traced back to this approach. “Our friends can no longer trust us and our enemies think we now have no backbone.”
When discussing ISIS, Garrett said that the administration must define the goals, end game, and strategy to combat the terrorist organization. He explained that, in his multiple Washington briefings, none of these concerns were answered.
Congressman Scott Garrett is up for re-election on November 4th.
