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Democrats seek to move Israel bill without Iran language

Sen. Barbara Boxer wants to take the US-Israel Strategic Partnership Act straight to the Senate floor to avoid Republican amendments.
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) speaks to the media after voting on a bill allowing a rise in the debt ceiling on Capitol Hill in Washington August 2, 2011.  The United States is poised to step back from the brink of economic disaster as a bitterly fought deal to cut the budget deficit is expected to clear the Senate and President Barack Obama's desk.     REUTERS/Joshua Roberts    (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) - RTR2PK4X

The lead sponsor of legislation strengthening US-Israel relations announced Tuesday she'd try to take her bill straight to a Senate vote to avoid a partisan committee vote on Iran nuclear negotiations.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said she pulled her US-Israel Strategic Partnership Act from consideration by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to avoid a vote on an Iran amendment by the committee's ranking member, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. The bill notably encourages the administration to allow Israel into the visa-waiver program, allows for the continued transfer of surplus weapons and ammunition and authorizes the president to provide assistance for cooperation in the fields of energy, water, homeland security, agriculture and alternative fuel technologies.

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