Ros-Lehtinen Statement on Administration's Syria Policy Announcement

Statement

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement today on President Obama's announcement of additional sanctions on the Syrian regime and call for Syria's Assad to step aside:

"The Syrian regime, not just Assad, has long posed a serious threat to U.S. security and that of our allies in the region, necessitating the imposition of crippling economic pressure. The sanctions announced today are long overdue. Those targeting Syria's energy sector are particularly significant as they will help deny Damascus a major source of wealth to carry out its dangerous activities.

"It is also important that the Administration take the next step in ending its engagement policy and reverse its mistake of sending a U.S. ambassador to Syria. The continued presence of an ambassador in Damascus sends a mixed message to the Syrian regime and gives legitimacy to Assad and his cronies.

"I welcome the opportunity to work with the Administration to ensure the full implementation and enforcement of all current sanctions laws targeting the Syrian regime. I also look forward to working with the Administration and with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to expedite final passage of new legislation that I have authored--the Syria Freedom Support Act--providing additional tools to further pressure and isolate the regime and support freedom and democracy for the Syrian people."

NOTE: Chairman Ros-Lehtinen and Ranking Member Howard Berman (D-CA) led a bipartisan letter, sent to the President earlier this month, calling on the President to tighten sanctions against Syria. A signed copy of the letter is available here.

Ros-Lehtinen, together with U.S. Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), authored the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-175), which sought to mandate sanctions against Syria for its threatening activities. Sanctions that the President is able to impose under this legislation include reduction of U.S. diplomatic contacts with the Syrian regime.

Ros-Lehtinen and Engel are also the authors of the Syria Freedom Support Act (H.R. 2106), which seeks to strengthen existing U.S. sanctions against the regime in Damascus to address the totality of the Syrian threat.

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