Congressman Fattah released a statement regarding his decision not to attend an address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a joint session of Congress on March 3, 2015:
"I would never participate in any activity to disparage the President of the United States, therefore I will not be present tomorrow. I will be in Israel a week from tomorrow, to continue my leadership in strengthening the United States and Israel's cooperation and partnership in science and technology.
"The issue of a nuclear Iran continues to be critically important. In 2005, I traveled to Vienna to meet with the International Atomic Energy Agency and raise alarms about the Iran nuclear weapons program and have since been unwavering in my opposition to it."