HCR 17

89S21088 KSM-F
		By: Dorazio
  H.C.R. No. 17
  CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, The United States and Israel have a long history of
  being strong allies, sharing many mutually beneficial values and
  interests; and
         WHEREAS, Europe needs additional sources of natural gas, and
  the United States has repeatedly urged Europe to wean itself off
  Russian natural gas and to pursue broader interests in the Middle
  East; and
         WHEREAS, The proposed Eastern Mediterranean gas pipeline,
  which would connect the natural gas fields of Israel to southern
  Europe by way of Cyprus and Greece, has previously had bipartisan
  support in the United States; as vice president under Barack Obama,
  Joe Biden was a vocal supporter of the project, and in 2020, with
  the backing of former president Donald Trump's administration,
  Israel, Cyprus, and Greece signed an agreement aiming to complete
  the $6 billion pipeline by 2025; and
         WHEREAS, In January 2022, President Joe Biden informed the
  countries that the United States was withdrawing its support for
  the project, citing environmental concerns as his administration
  attempts to move away from fossil fuels; and
         WHEREAS, Natural gas is an important low-emissions fuel for
  improving human life, and Israel has abundant natural gas reserves
  offshore, in excess of what is needed for its own domestic use; the
  completion of the Eastern Mediterranean gas pipeline from Israel to
  southern Europe would be a benefit to the region and to all of the
  countries involved in the project; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas,
  2nd Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the federal government
  to support construction of the Eastern Mediterranean gas pipeline;
  and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
  copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
  the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
  Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
  members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
  this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
  memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.