Sponsors (2)
Introduced June 18, 2025 by Jeanne Shaheen · Last progress June 18, 2025
Repealing the Caesar Act sanctions statute would ease commercial ties and give the executive branch more diplomatic flexibility, but it reduces congressional leverage and risks weakening pressure on the Assad regime—potentially undermining accountability, international deterrence, and creating uncertainty or future costs for Americans.
Importers, U.S. small businesses, and financial institutions can more easily do business with Syria and foreign entities previously restricted by the Caesar sanctions, potentially lowering costs and opening commercial opportunities.
The U.S. executive branch gains greater diplomatic and negotiation flexibility with Syrian counterparts and regional actors because the statute-based sanctions tool would be removed.
Victims of the Assad regime and Syrian civilians could lose a congressionally backed sanctions tool intended to pressure the regime for human-rights abuses, weakening accountability and justice for abuses.
U.S. leverage in multilateral pressure campaigns on Syria and its backers could weaken, potentially reducing deterrence of further abuses and narrowing options for coordinated international responses.
NGOs, journalists, and companies may face increased uncertainty about U.S. human-rights and sanctions commitments, complicating planning and compliance and potentially chilling advocacy or reporting.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Repeals the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 and removes that law and its authorities from U.S. statutes. The bill eliminates the statutory basis and any provisions that were part of that Act as of the repeal date.