; Whereas in 1984, the United States and Israel began convening the Joint Economic Development Group to regularly discuss economic conditions and identify new opportunities for collaboration; Whereas, in 1994, the United States-Israel Science and Technology Foundation was established to promote the advancement of science and technology for mutual economic benefit and has developed joint research and development programs that reach 12 States; Whereas the United States-Israel Innovation Index, which was developed by the United States-Israel Science and Technology Foundation to track and benchmark innovation relationships, ranks the United States-Israel innovation relationship as top-tier; Whereas in 2007, the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation’s Energy program was established to provide support for joint United States-Israel research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and has provided $18,000,000 to 20 joint projects since its founding; Whereas, since 2011, the United States Department of Energy and the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures, Energy, and Water Resources have led an annual United States-Israel Energy Meeting with participants across government agencies to facilitate bilateral cooperation in that sector; Whereas, in 2012, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 ( Public Law 112–150 ), which set United States policy to expand bilateral cooperation across the spectrum of civilian sectors, including high technology, agriculture, medicine, health, pharmaceuticals, and energy; Whereas in 2013, President Obama said in reference to Israel’s contribution to the global economy, That innovation is just as important to the relationship between the United States and Israel as our security cooperation.