U.S. Congress Advances Bill to Tighten Sanctions on Syria Amid Bipartisan Support

WASHINGTON D.C.— A key congressional committee has advanced legislation to expand and strengthen U.S. sanctions on Syria, signaling continued bipartisan resolve in Washington to renew pressure on the government of Syrian President and Prime Minister Ahmed al-Sharaa. 

The Syria Sanctions Accountability Act, introduced by Republican Representative Mike Lawler (New York), was marked up and passed by the House Financial Services Committee this week with strong support from both parties. The bill seeks to modernize the existing sanctions framework and broaden it with new enforcement tools aimed at increasing the U.S. government’s leverage over the Syrian government. 

“This week, the Syria Sanctions Accountability Act was marked up and passed the Financial Services Committee with bipartisan support,” Lawler said. “I introduced this bill to modernize the existing sanctions regime on Syria. As the Trump Administration reviews sanctions policy, we must ensure they have the tools needed.” 

According to Lawler, the legislation aligns with the Trump administration’s broader review of U.S. sanctions policy, with the intent of ensuring that Washington possesses “the full suite of instruments needed to hold the Syrian government accountable for its human rights abuses and destabilizing activities.” 

The proposed legislation updates and expands upon the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, which imposed sweeping sanctions on overthrown regime-related Syrian officials and entities linked to war crimes and economic corruption. The new bill seeks to close enforcement gaps, target third-party enablers—including individuals and companies in Russia, Iran, and Lebanon—and reinforce financial restrictions on Syrian government-linked institutions. 

Notably, the bill enjoyed strong bipartisan backing, a rare display of unity in a deeply divided Congress. Lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties expressed concern over recent signals from Damascus suggesting a lack of genuine reform, despite temporary sanctions relief measures enacted in May. 

At that time, the Biden administration had suspended certain sanctions to allow humanitarian aid and post-earthquake recovery efforts. However, the administration made clear that the Assad government would need to meet specific benchmarks—including the release of political prisoners, a halt to forced disappearances, and meaningful progress toward a political resolution to the conflict—if sanctions were to be lifted permanently. 

Analysts say the move could further complicate Syria’s fragile normalization process with Arab states like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which have recently re-established limited diplomatic ties with the new Syrian administration. 

As Syria remains mired in economic crisis and inner mini wars, the proposed legislation underscores a message from Washington that any path to normalization must be predicated on concrete steps toward accountability and reform.