RELEASE: REP. HILL’S PROVISIONS TO COUNTER RUSSIA, CAPTAGON IN SYRIA, AND TO SUPPORT HOSTAGES HELD BY HAMAS HEADING TO HOUSE FLOOR
WASHINGTON, D.C.,
November 7, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During today’s House Foreign Affairs Committee markup, Rep. French Hill (AR-02) had significant provisions in three bills that passed out of committee that would issue new sanctions against perpetrators of illicit production and trafficking of captagon, use Russian sovereign assets to pay for Ukraine’s reconstruction, and call for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas.
H.R. 4681 - Illicit Captagon Trafficking Suppression Act:
“In addition to being a documented war criminal, Bashar al-Assad in Syria has become a transnational drug kingpin whose captagon drug is devastating families in the region and fueling his terror partnership with Iran and Hezbollah."
H.R. 4175 - REPO for Ukrainians Act:
“Russia should be held responsible for the cost of the damages stemming from its illegal invasion of Ukraine, not American taxpayers."
H.Res.793:
“As I've stated before, releasing hostages and wrongful detainees should be the first steps. Hamas will reap the whirlwind if these hostages are not recovered safely and promptly."
Further Background:
H.R. 4681 - Illicit Captagon Trafficking Suppression Act: This bill would impose new sanctions with respect to illicit captagon trafficking in Syria linked to the Bashar al-Assad regime.
Rep. Hill’s CAPTAGON Act, which requires the U.S. government to develop an interagency strategy to disrupt and dismantle narcotics production and trafficking and affiliated networks linked to the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, passed in Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and was signed into law in December 2022. On June 29, 2023, the Biden Administration released their strategy in their report to Congress, which can be found HERE.
H.R. 4175 - REPO for Ukrainians Act: House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Rep. Hill worked collaboratively to incorporate provisions from the Ukraine Reconstruction Act into this bill together, which would give the President the authority to seize, transfer, or vest Russian sovereign assets within U.S. jurisdiction into an international fund for the sole purpose of Ukraine’s eventual reconstruction.
H.Res.793: This bipartisan resolution, led by Rep. Hill and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) calls on Hamas to immediately release all hostages taken during the October 2023 barbaric terrorist attacks on Israel. Reps. Hill and Stevens are Co-Chairs of the Congressional Task Force on American Hostages and Americans Wrongfully Detained Abroad.
|
