The House Rules Committee has rejected all proposed amendments to the Department of Defence budget bill related to foreign policy, including an amendment introduced by Representative Joe Wilson to repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which had garnered broad bipartisan support.
The Syrian American Council (SAC) announced on Tuesday that the committee approved only 299 out of 1,100 proposed amendments, marking the lowest number accepted since 2018. It emphasized that the rejection “was not related to the content of the proposed amendments or to Syria specifically,” but rather stemmed from a deal struck by House Speaker Mike Johnson to avoid partisan disputes that could jeopardize the budget’s passage.
SAC, a pro-Sharaa American organization, explained in a statement that Johnson justified his stance by citing the need to secure support from some Democrats, given the Republicans’ slim majority in the House, where a few dissenting votes from members like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Tom Massie could derail the bill.
SAC stressed that this development “does not eliminate the prospects of repealing the Caesar Act through the budget bill,” noting that a provision to repeal it had already been included in the Senate’s version of the bill. However, it underscored the need to “redouble efforts, as was done previously when the law was added or renewed at the last moment through special procedures.”
SAC concluded by highlighting the “complexity and precision” of the process, urging the Syrian-American community to intensify efforts through the end of the year to achieve this “honorable national endeavor.”
Representative Joe Wilson, in exclusive remarks to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, had expressed optimism that Congress would soon pass a measure to repeal the Caesar Act to protect Syrian civilians, paving the way for its discussion in the Senate. Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with a delegation from the Syrian American Council for Peace and Prosperity, Wilson anticipated that Congress would approve the repeal as part of the National Defense Authorization Act in the coming week.
He noted that the measure would proceed to the Senate for further discussion and voiced strong confidence that the Caesar Act would be fully repealed within the month. Wilson emphasized his efforts to urge fellow Congress members to permanently lift the Caesar Act sanctions, while linking the repeal to “conditions ensuring the establishment of a unified state inclusive of Bedouins, Druze, Alawites, and Kurds.” He also praised President Donald Trump’s decisions to lift long-standing U.S. sanctions on Syria.
