“Jordan has been a key partner in the region for years, and is on the front lines of the fight against ISIL, sharing a border with both Syria and Iraq,” US Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ted Deutch, Kay Granger, and Nita Lowey said in the joint statement on Thursday. “In order to ensure Jordan has the capabilities to defend itself and fight to eradicate this terrorist threat, we must increase our bilateral military cooperation and expedite military sales to the Kingdom.”
The bill would change the Arms Export Control Act by placing Jordan on a list of US allies that Congress may sell military gear quickly to in war situations, the statement read, and would also create a memorandum of understanding to increase military cooperation between the United States and Jordan.
Additional military cooperation could allow joint military exercises and personal exchanges to take place between the United States and Jordan, senators said.
According to the US State Department, the United States and Jordan already have an "open skies" civil aviation agreement, a bilateral investment treaty, a science and technology cooperation agreement, and a memorandum of understanding on nuclear energy cooperation.
