Washington, D.C.

American Coalition for Syria Welcomes and Supports Senate Companion Legislation Countering Regional Normalization with the Assad Regime

27 September 2023

The American Coalition for Syria (ACS), a coalition of Syrian American and faith-based organizations, supports today’s introduction of Senate companion legislation of the Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act. ACS appreciates Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Members Jim Risch (R-Id.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for putting forth this crucial legislation in response to ongoing efforts by some countries to normalize relations with the brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad who is responsible for countless crimes against humanity.

Since its introduction in May 2023, the House version (H.R. 3202) has drawn deep bipartisan support with a growing number of 48 co-sponsors. The Senate bill would prohibit the recognition or normalization of any Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad and require the U.S. to establish a strategy to counter normalization efforts. It also expands sanctions against individuals and companies engaged in the diversion of humanitarian aid intended for the Syrian people.

Re-establishing diplomatic and economic ties with the Assad regime, absent genuine political reform, is unlikely to lead to a resolution of the Syrian conflict. The resounding message from the demonstrators in Suwayda, who have been rallying in the streets for the past two months, clearly underscores this fact: Assad's departure is their resolute demand. The Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act requires the U.S. to adopt a strategy opposing the normalization of Assad. It enshrines as U.S. policy that the Assad regime is illegitimate and must be held accountable for its murderous actions against the Syrian people. The American Coalition for Syria urges all Senators to support this crucial legislation by co-sponsoring it.

The American Coalition for Syria commends Senators Risch and Rubio for introducing this significant and sorely-needed legislation, which reaffirms the will of Congress on U.S. policy on Syria as laid out in the bipartisan Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act. The Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act strengthens the Caesar Act by making subject to U.S. sanctions members of Assad’s rubber-stamp parliament, the Ba'ath Party of Syria, individuals engaged in vast corruption or other activities relating to the systematic diversion of humanitarian goods intended for the Syrian people, and individuals responsible for or complicit in the seizure, confiscation, theft or expropriation of refugee property. We must make it clear that the U.S. stands with the Syrian people and will not turn a blind eye to the whitewashing of atrocities.”

Mohammed Alaa Ghanem, Policy Chief for the American Coalition for Syria.