WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act today that would limit funds authorized to be appropriated for U.S. participation in joint military exercises with Egypt if the Egyptian government abrogates, terminates, or withdraws from the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty.

The National Defense Authorization Act (S. 3254) is currently pending on the Senate floor.

"Israel is the United States' greatest ally and friend in the Middle East and is among its best allies in the entire world. Compliance with the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty is vital in ensuring a peaceful relationship between Israel and Egypt. Should Egypt decide not to meet its obligations under that treaty, the United States would need to seriously reevaluate its military relationship with Egypt, including its participation in joint military exercises," Sen. Toomey said.

Jewish community leaders in Pennsylvania thanked the senator for introducing this legislation.

"We appreciate Sen. Toomey's continued demonstration of his strong support for Israel and his appreciation of the critical importance to the region of maintaining the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. This treaty is key to ensuring future peaceful relations between Egypt and Israel and to maintaining Israel's security. This bill emphasizes the importance the United States ascribes to this treaty and results in adverse consequences to Egypt should it choose to no longer abide by the treaty," said Bill Wanger, partner at Fox Rothschild and president of the Republican Jewish Coalition's Philadelphia chapter.

"Sen. Toomey has consistently demonstrated his commitment and strong support for Israel. The legislation he has introduced highlights the importance of the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty to future peaceful relations between the two countries. It attaches a necessary safeguard to help ensure compliance with the treaty, one that has kept the peace between Israel and Egypt for more than three decades," said Mark Silverberg, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania in Scranton.

Sen. Toomey also filed six additional amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act. These amendments would:

• Establish a one-year pilot program at the Labor Department's One-Stop Centers to reform and streamline how veterans search online for jobs. The new search program would match veterans with available jobs based on the skills they've gained in the military, and employers would be able to post vacancies. This amendment is identical to S. 3316.

• Require the Defense Department share a forthcoming report from the Military and Veterans Mental Health Interagency Task Force with Congress. The report will contain recommendations on strategies to improve the mental health of service members, veterans and their families.

• Affirm the sense of the Senate that "abandoning the search efforts for members of the armed forces who are missing or captured in the line of duty now or in the future is unacceptable." This amendment is identical to S.Res. 593.

• Require a Defense Department study on the development of a joint service military history storage and preservation facility.

• Mandate that the DoD study and report on a flight training simulator that would combine the physical effects of supersonic flight with a simulated cockpit. This amendment is identical to S. 3554.

• Order the secretary of the Army to conduct a study on the Bradley Fighting Vehicle industrial base, including the quantitative and qualitative impacts of a production break for the vehicle.