[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 69 (Friday, April 27, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E568]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NO ASSISTANCE FOR ASSAD ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. BRENDAN F. BOYLE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 27, 2018

  Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, since 2011, Bashar 
Al-Assad purposely and systemically destroyed Syrian communities in 
order to crush political opponents and retain absolute dictatorial 
power, with the help of his Russian and Iranian backers. Starting as 
peaceful protests, the people of Syria demanded basic freedoms from the 
Syrian government. Of course, this was met with a harsh crackdown, 
prolonged conflict, and today, a humanitarian crisis. As co-chair of 
the Friends of a Free, Stable and Democratic Syria Caucus, I believe we 
in Congress must do all we can to ensure that the welfare of the Syrian 
people remains the top priority of our involvement in the region, and 
condition any engagement with the Assad regime as such.
  My heart goes out to every Syrian that has to monitor the skies to 
see what aerial attacks will be coming that day; to every child that 
has been robbed of their innocence--forced to leave their home and live 
in constant fear, denied a basic education--and to every family member 
left wondering if their relatives will live to see the next day. We've 
all seen the images in Syria. They're hard to stomach. Yet, the attacks 
persist. The violence and ruthlessness persist. Assad and his 
supporters in Russia and Iran are responsible for all of this pain and 
suffering.
  H.R. 4681, the No Assistance for Assad Act, would ensure that 
American assistance for reconstruction in Syria should be available in 
areas controlled by Assad only if the regime stops its indiscriminate 
use of weapons, ends attacks on civilians and civilian facilities, 
releases political prisoners, allows human rights organizations access 
to prisons, and removes senior officials complicit in human-rights 
abuses. If the Assad regime, Russia, and Iran continue to break Syria, 
this legislation makes clear they must own the responsibility for 
rebuilding it. U.S. policy must not allow the regime in Damascus 
control American dollars that are meant to rebuild the country.
  I was proud to introduce this critical legislation with Ranking 
Member Engel, Chairman Royce, and my fellow caucus co-chair, Adam 
Kinzinger. I thank them for their hard work on this legislation and 
urge passage of this timely, important legislation.

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