The US House of Representatives is set to vote on Tuesday, on a bill aimed at opposing normalization with the Syrian regime. This bill was initially introduced last year in the House of Representatives and subsequently in the US Senate.
According to the official website of the Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, Steve Scalise, the House will vote on a series of laws, including the anti-normalization legislation concerning the Assad regime, albeit in a modified version from its 2023 iteration.
The proposed US bill prohibits the federal government from recognizing or normalizing relations with any government in Syria under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad. Additionally, it extends the duration of the Caesar Act, grants expanded powers to the US President to penalize individuals involved in the exploitation of Syrians and imposes measures to enhance monitoring of commercial transactions that could potentially breach sanctions.
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The draft legislation against normalization with the Syrian regime, which was introduced by a group of American representatives, was initially presented in the House of Representatives on May 11, 2023. Notably, the Foreign Relations Committee in the House of Representatives unanimously approved it just two working days after its introduction, a move that was promptly labelled as “contravening legislative norms.”
In conjunction with Arab attempts
This measure coincided with Arab efforts to reintegrate Assad into the Arab world, as evidenced by Saudi Arabia hosting Assad on its territory to participate in the Arab summit held in Jeddah on May 19, 2023, following Syria’s reinstatement in the Arab League.
For the bill to become law, it must pass through both chambers of Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate) and then be sent to the office of US President Joe Biden for final approval.
Jordan had proposed an Arab-led initiative for a political resolution in Syria, outlining requirements presented to the regime. However, the “Jordanian initiative” outcomes took a divergent path, implementing measures contrary to its objectives.
On July 13, 2023, a resolution was introduced in the US House of Representatives, advocating for the establishment of a special international tribunal to prosecute the Syrian regime for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the Syrian populace. This proposed tribunal would operate through an international judicial mechanism specialized in Syria, potentially bypassing Russian opposition in the United Nations General Assembly.
On June 30 of the same year, the US State Department issued a report to the US Congress detailing its written strategy to disrupt and dismantle drug production and trafficking networks associated with the Syrian regime. This action aligns with the objectives outlined in the US Captagon Act, enacted at the conclusion of 2023.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
