Representative Levin Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Syria’s Assad Regime
Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) cosponsored the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, a bipartisan bill that would require President Trump to impose sanctions on anyone who does business with Syria’s Assad regime and help crack down on human rights violators.
“The Assad regime has committed unimaginable atrocities against its own citizens, and the United States must do everything in its power to hold the regime accountable,” said Representative Levin. “It is long past time that President Trump place maximum pressure on supporters of the Assad regime, and I am proud to cosponsor bipartisan legislation that will finally force him to do that.”
The Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act of 2019 is named in honor of the former Syrian military photographer “Caesar” who risked his life to show members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Assad’s torture of Syrian civilians. This bill would impose new sanctions on human rights abuses and encourage negotiations. This legislation also leaves flexibility for the Administration so that sanctions can be waived on a case-by-case basis to keep negotiations moving along.
The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act would require the President to impose new sanctions on anyone who:
- Does business with or provides financing to the Government of Syria, including Syrian intelligence and security services, or the Central Bank of Syria;
- Provides aircraft or spare parts for aircraft to Syria’s airlines (including financing);
- Provides significant construction or engineering services to the Government of Syria; or
- Supports Syria’s energy industry.
The bill was introduced by Representative Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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