U.S. senators introduce bill to repeal Caesar Act on Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Two U.S. senators—Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Rand Paul—introduced on Wednesday a bipartisan bill aimed at repealing the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019.
In a joint statement released by their offices, the senators said the proposed legislation responds to “growing recognition that while the Caesar Act achieved its goal of isolating the Assad regime, it now risks obstructing Syria’s path toward stability, democracy and reconstruction.”
The bill seeks to lift the broad, sweeping sanctions imposed under the Caesar Act, while maintaining U.S. mechanisms to hold Syrian officials accountable for human rights violations, according to the statement.
“The Syrian people have a generational opportunity to write a new chapter for their country and the entire Middle East,” Senator Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said. “For too long, the brutal Assad dictatorship, propped up by our adversaries Iran and Russia, has ruled with an iron fist.”
Shaheen emphasized that accountability for Syria’s new authorities is possible “without decimating the economy.”
Senator Rand Paul echoed that sentiment, stating: “While the Caesar Act was intended to isolate the Assad regime, it has ended up punishing everyday Syrians—fueling poverty, crippling recovery, and blocking progress toward peace.”
“This repeal is about restoring a more targeted, principled approach that holds bad actors accountable without inflicting unnecessary suffering on the very people we claim to support,” he added.
In April, Senator Shaheen had also urged the administration of President Donald Trump to remove barriers hindering expanded cooperation with the Syrian Transitional Government and to lift related sanctions.