Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – 8/15/25… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, introduced the Keeping Official Territories Eligible for Land-use (KOTEL) Act to repeal outdated restrictions on the use of specific Diplomatic Security funds for the acquisition, development, or construction of any facility in Israel, Jerusalem, or the West Bank.

This provision was enacted back in 1986, and the funds it applies to have already expired, which means all recent Diplomatic Security funding and other appropriations are able to go toward building in Israel. Despite this, the language remains enshrined in U.S. code. Repealing this provision would eliminate an obsolete barrier and preempt any attempt to restrict construction again. This law must be updated to ensure the State Department is in line with U.S. policy on Israel, such as when President Trump moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.

The KOTEL Act is named after one of the most sacred structures in Israel, the Western Wall of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. 

“Israel is one of America’s closest allies, and this 40-year-old inactive prohibition serves no purpose. The KOTEL Act removes these outdated restrictions so we can continue to ensure the bond between the U.S. and Israel remains ironclad,” said Chairman Mike Lawler. 

As Chairman of the MENA Subcommittee, which holds jurisdiction over both the State Department’s Bureau of Management and Bureau of Counterterrorism, Lawler is leveraging his role to advance reforms that support a more agile and effective foreign policy.

Each of these bills, including the KOTEL Act, has been submitted for consideration in the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s State Department reauthorization. 

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

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Full text of the bill can be found HERE.