WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Senate passed its version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 defense authorization act, which included the U.S.-Israel Anti-Terror and Drug Tunnel Cooperation Amendment, introduced by Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) and supported by a group of bipartisan senators.

"My bipartisan legislation will deepen security cooperation between the United States and Israel-helping Israel counter Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist tunnels and enabling the U.S. to counter tunnels on our southern border that are used to smuggle drugs like heroin into our country. Israel is our closest and most reliable ally in the Middle East, and by working even more closely with Israel, we can better protect our citizens," said Senator Ayotte. Ayotte continued, "I am pleased the senate passed my legislation, and I look forward to working to ensure it is included in the final bill."

In the wake of Israel's 2014 conflict with Hamas, Israel found more than 30 tunnels dug by terrorists to infiltrate and subsequently attack Israelis. Not only are terrorist tunnels a leading security concern for the government of Israel, tunnels are also being used by ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Terrorist tunnels can be used to threaten U.S. embassies and forward deployed U.S. military personnel as well.

Additionally, similar tunnels are used along the southern border by drug cartels to smuggle people and illicit drugs like heroin into the U.S. In 2014 alone, New Hampshire experienced 321 drug overdose deaths, which is a 66% increase from 2013. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, heroin is most commonly brought into the U.S. through the southwest border. Over a two day period in April alone, two tunnels were discovered beneath the California-Mexico border.

Experts have testified that these tunnels under the U.S. southern border could also be used by terrorists. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee this March, General John Kelly, Commander of Southern Command said, "...terrorist organizations could seek to leverage those same smuggling routes to move operatives with intent to cause grave harm to our citizens or even bring weapons of mass destruction into the United States."

The Ayotte-led legislation authorizes the Secretary of Defense, upon request of the Ministry of Defense of Israel, to carry out research, development, test, and evaluation, on a joint basis with Israel, to establish anti-tunnel capabilities to detect, map, and neutralize underground tunnels that threaten the United States and Israel.