WASHINGTON, D.C., FEBRUARY 3, 2026 — ​When the U.S. President signed H.R. 7148 into law today, much of the focus centered on finishing the funding process for most of the federal government. But embedded within this bipartisan legislation is a provision that may reshape how the United States collaborates with emerging partners in the Middle East: the creation of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration office in the Abraham Accords region.

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The idea dates to a bipartisan 2019 congressional delegation to Israel organized by the U.S.–Israel Education Association (USIEA). Lawmakers on that trip were concerned with China’s widening presence in medical research and manufacturing, including in parts of Israel’s advanced sector. USIEA’s briefings underscored for U.S. officials the need to work more closely with reliable allies on essential medical production. The briefings laid early groundwork for what has been called “friendshoring,” a strategy that shifts critical manufacturing away from geopolitical rivals and toward trusted partners.

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The COVID-19 pandemic sharpened those concerns. “The pandemic exposed just how dependent the United States had become on Chinese supply chains, especially for pharmaceuticals and protective equipment,” said Heather Johnston, USIEA’s president. “At the same time, the Abraham Accords opened an entirely new pathway for regional cooperation. Our work has focused on helping lawmakers understand how those developments fit together and why the United States has strategic alternatives with trusted partners.”

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In addition to the strategic implications, USIEA leaders emphasized the practical day-to-day effects an FDA office would have for ordinary Americans. “Companies across the Abraham Accords countries are already doing sophisticated work, and having American FDA personnel on the ground will strengthen oversight and coordination on vital medical projects that ultimately benefit everyday Americans,” said Joan Leslie McGill, USIEA’s executive director.

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Since 2019, USIEA has provided bipartisan briefings to members of Congress, administration officials, industry leaders, and senior staff in both the Biden and Trump (47) administrations. Additional USIEA Briefings with the current National Security Council (NSC) and the FDA have also highlighted the strategic potential of scientific and economic cooperation among Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. While USIEA does not engage in lobbying, its educational work with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers has become increasingly influential on Capitol Hill.

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That educational momentum helped shape the legislative outcome. Reps. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) and Juan Vargas (D-CA) introduced a bill last Congress calling for a regional FDA office, doing so with the full support of then-House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who now serves as a USIEA Fellow. Their language was later incorporated into Rep. Michael McCaul’s “Give Kids a Chance Act,” which passed the House last year. McCaul retained the provision in H.R. 1262 and maintained the FDA office language in Section 9. That language was included in H.R. 7148.

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“An FDA office in the region will make it less challenging for companies to navigate U.S. regulatory requirements, expand joint clinical trials, and build manufacturing partnerships with allies,” said EJ Kimball, USIEA’s director of policy and strategic operations. “It also helps reduce dependence on China, whose dominance in pharmaceutical production has become a bipartisan national-security concern, including the risk that vital medical products could be weaponized in a future conflict.”

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Peter J. Pitts, a USIEA Fellow and former FDA Associate Commissioner, said the legislation reflects a broader shift in how Congress views the Abraham Accords. “For many members, it was not immediately obvious how this new regional architecture could affect the United States,” he said. “But as we walked them through what Israel and its neighbors are building together, especially in biotechnology and advanced manufacturing, it became clear that these partnerships could strengthen America’s long-term stability in critical health and research sectors.”

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Johnston emphasized the broader policy implications for U.S. security. “Friendshoring gives the United States a way to reduce unnecessary exposure to adversarial actors,” she said. “The Abraham Accords countries offer stable, capable partners who align with our long-term security and economic interests.”

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USIEA plans to continue its educational role by providing briefings, facilitating discussions with regional leaders, and offering insight into how the scientific and economic cooperation fostered by the Abraham Accords can advance U.S. interests.​​