House Hawks Urge Biden to Use Sanctions to Prevent Syria Normalization

The top Republican and Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee released a statement on Monday slamming Syria’s readmission into the Arab League and urging President Biden to use sanctions to prevent further normalization.

“Readmitting Assad to the Arab League is a grave strategic mistake that will embolden Assad, Russia, and Iran to continue butchering civilians and destabilizing the Middle East,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY) said.

“The United States must fully enforce the Caesar Act and other sanctions to freeze normalization efforts with this war criminal,” the lawmakers added.

The Caesar Act imposed crushing economic sanctions on Syria in 2020 that are specifically designed to prevent the country’s reconstruction. The measures have had a devastating impact on Syria’s civilians. The House recently voted overwhelmingly to keep enforcing sanctions following a devastating earthquake that killed thousands of Syrians.