WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a bill repealing the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019. This legislation reflects a growing recognition that while the Caesar Act achieved its goal of isolating the Assad regime, it now risks obstructing Syria’s path toward stability, democracy and reconstruction. Repealing the Caesar Act would end broad-based economic sanctions while preserving U.S. tools to hold Syrian officials accountable.
“The Syrian people have a generational opportunity to write a new chapter for their country and the entire Middle East,“ said Ranking Member Shaheen. “For too long, the brutal Assad dictatorship, propped up by our adversaries Iran and Russia, has ruled with an iron fist. And for too long, the Syrian people have endured a devastating civil war to rid themselves of this oppression. We can keep the new Syrian authorities accountable without decimating the economy. Sustained diplomatic engagement can yield tremendous results. I look forward to working with Special Envoy Thomas Barrack to support the Syrian people’s aspirations for democracy, stability and security.”
“For years, I’ve opposed broad sanctions that hurt innocent people more than the regimes they target. While the Caesar Act was intended to isolate the Assad regime, it has ended up punishing everyday Syrians—fueling poverty, crippling recovery, and blocking progress toward peace. This repeal is about restoring a more targeted, principled approach that holds bad actors accountable without inflicting unnecessary suffering on the very people we claim to support,” said Dr. Rand Paul.
Full text of the bill to repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act can be found here.
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