[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 60 (Thursday, April 6, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H2770]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 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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