Syrian American activists and observers confirmed that the House Rules Committee rejected all proposed foreign policy-related amendments to the US Defense Department budget bill, including provisions concerning the “Caesar Act.”
Mohammad Alaa Ghanem, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Syrian American Council, said on X on Tuesday, September 9, that the committee dismissed the amendments, including one introduced by senior Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, aimed at repealing the Caesar Act.
According to Ghanem, the rejection came after an agreement by House Speaker Mike Johnson to prevent the budget bill from becoming a partisan dispute between Republicans and Democrats. He explained that introducing certain social or cultural provisions opposed by Republicans but supported by Democrats risked losing votes from one side, jeopardizing the entire budget. Johnson, therefore, opted to reject all foreign policy-related amendments to avoid both votes and disputes.
Ghanem added that Johnson justified his stance by noting that Republicans hold only a slim majority in the House. Even a few defections or abstentions within the party could sink the bill, which requires majority approval to pass.
Syrian-American media figure Ayman Abdel Nour also stated on Facebook that the committee rejected Wilson’s proposal, one of hundreds submitted, to repeal the Caesar Act. However, he clarified that this does not mean the proposal is dead, as it could still be introduced before the House Foreign Affairs Committee as a standalone bill, similar to a separate measure previously passed by the House Financial Services Committee extending the Caesar Act for two years.
Chances for repeal remain
Ghanem stressed that efforts to repeal the Caesar Act remain possible, pointing out that supporters had previously managed to include a repeal clause in the Senate version of the budget bill. He called for doubling lobbying efforts in the Senate, describing Tuesday’s rejection as a reminder of the difficulty and precision of their advocacy work.
He urged the Syrian-American community to intensify efforts through the end of this year. Ghanem noted that the Caesar Act was not initially included in either the House or Senate versions when it was first enacted in 2019 or when it was renewed in 2024, but was later added through special procedures. “We will attempt to do the same again this year, as we have done successfully in the past,” he said.
The amendments to repeal the Caesar Act are backed by several lawmakers, led by Republican Joe Wilson and joined by Democratic representatives, including Arab American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Before the committee hearing, Wilson wrote on X, “Grateful for the opportunity to testify before the House Rules Committee in support of my amendment to repeal the Caesar Act in the National Defense Authorization Act. It is time to give Syria a chance, and I hope the committee allows my amendment.”
Amend or repeal?
On July 22, the House Financial Services Committee passed bill H.R. 4427, which amends rather than repeals the Caesar Act, voting 31–23 to extend it for two years. This does not make the bill law yet, but it represents an important first step, according to Ghanem.
Abdel Nour commented that Republicans, who supported the extension, currently control both the House and Senate.
The Syrian American Council opposed the extension bill, describing it as “a major expansion of the back door for US sanctions on Syria.” In a statement, the Council argued that “just as Syria is finally being offered a path toward reconstruction, stability, and reintegration into the international community, this bill, introduced by Congressman Mike Lawler on June 16, would decisively move both Syria and US policy in the wrong direction.”
What is the Caesar Act?
The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, passed by the US House of Representatives in November 2016 and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump in December 2019, mandates sanctions against individuals, companies, and governments that provide military, financial, or technical support to the former Syrian regime.
It also targets any party contributing to reconstruction efforts under the former regime, including Russia and Iran.
The law is named after Caesar (real name: Farid al-Madhhan), a Syrian military defector who smuggled 55,000 photographs of 11,000 detainees killed under torture in regime prisons in 2014. The FBI verified the authenticity of the images, which shocked international public opinion when presented to the US Senate.
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