U.S. Lawmakers Push Bill to Repeal Assad-Era Sanctions on Syria

(MENAFN) On Thursday, US Representative Joe Wilson revealed that he, alongside a bipartisan group of colleagues, has introduced legislation aimed at lifting the sanctions imposed during the Assad regime in Syria.

Wilson stated, "The Caesar law targeted the Assad regime and with the fall of the regime it must be permanently repealed." He was referencing the 2020 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which enacted comprehensive sanctions against Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Collaborating with Representatives Jimmy Panetta, Marlin Stutzman, Lou Correa, and Pramila Jayapal, Wilson emphasized that their bill “would FULLY repeal the Caesar law and its sanctions on Syria.”

Wilson also acknowledged the efforts of US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack, who doubles as the US special envoy to Syria, crediting him for pushing to ease the sanctions.

Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly a quarter-century, fled to Russia in December, marking the end of the Baath Party’s regime that had governed since 1963. In January, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of anti-regime forces that helped depose Assad, was appointed interim president.

During a recent Middle East trip, President Donald Trump expressed his intention to remove the “brutal and crippling” sanctions on Syria to offer the country “a chance at greatness.”

In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a 180-day waiver on mandatory Caesar Act sanctions, designed to prevent these penalties from hindering reconstruction and investment efforts in Syria.

"These waivers will facilitate the provision of electricity, energy, water, and sanitation, and enable a more effective humanitarian response across Syria," Rubio said.

He framed the waivers as the "first step" toward fulfilling Trump’s vision of a renewed US-Syria relationship, adding that the administration seeks to give Syria the opportunity to "promote peace and stability, both within Syria and in Syria’s relations with its neighbors."

"The President has made clear his expectation that relief will be followed by prompt action by the Syrian government on important policy priorities," Rubio concluded.

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