ATTACKS IN SYRIA WILL NOT BE TOLERATED; Congressional Record Vol. 163, No. 60

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ATTACKS IN SYRIA WILL NOT BE TOLERATED

(Mr. ENGEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my revulsion at the gas

attacks killing innocent Syrian civilians. One of the responses from

this Congress should be when we get back, as soon as possible, we pass

the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2017. It is sponsored by

myself and Chairman Royce. It is named in honor of the courageous

former Syrian photographer known as \\\`\\\`Caesar,'' who testified before

the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2014 about the Assad regime's

torture of Syrian civilians. This legislation passed the House in

November 2016 by voice vote but didn't pass the other body.

This bill requires 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. It sanctions anyone that provides aircraft or

spare parts for aircraft to Syria's airlines, including financing. It

sanctions anyone who does business with transportation or telecom

sectors controlled by the Syrian Government or anyone who supports

Syria's energy industry.

Mr. Speaker, we need to send a strong message to the murderous Assad

regime and a strong message to Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah that we will

not tolerate attacks on innocent civilians.

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