Photo: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets Syrian President Bashar Al Assad in Damascus on April 18, 2023. – Saudi Press Agency
WASHINGTON D.C.— The Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) applauds the House Foreign Affairs Committee for passing H.R. 3202, “The Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act,” in a markup session on Tuesday.
This bipartisan legislation prohibits the U.S. government from normalizing relations with any Syrian government led by war criminal Bashar Al-Assad, sends a warning message to countries engaging in normalizing ties with his regime, and expands the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act to strengthen sanctions on the Assad regime and its supporters responsible for human rights abuses and atrocities.
“Despite the shameful decisions made by certain members of the Arab League in normalizing relations with the Assad regime, the United States Congress continues to stand with the Syrian people by ensuring that the U.S. never normalizes with Assad while holding accountable other nations that do engage in such normalization,” said Mouaz Moustafa, SETF’s Executive Director.
SETF expresses its appreciation and gratitude to the bill’s co-sponsors, Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Steve Cohen (D-TN), French Hill (R-AR), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS), and Carlos Giménez (R-FL). Their commitment to working across party lines and prioritizing the values of human rights, justice, and stability is commendable.
As H.R. 3202 advances through the legislative process, SETF urges all members of Congress to support its passage and reaffirm their commitment to human rights, justice, and peace in Syria. This bill presents a great opportunity to strengthen the United States’ stance against war criminal Assad and his allies, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia, who have been complicit in perpetrating heinous human rights violations and mass atrocities.