Barbara Lee: “There is no doubt that Lebanon is in full-blown crisis. It has lacked an elected leader for almost a year. Its economy…”

“There is no doubt that Lebanon is in full-blown crisis. It has lacked an elected leader for almost a year. Its economy is crippled and the presence of Hezbollah, as both an armed actor and a political party, remains a challenge to national unity. At the same time, it hosts 1.5 million refugees from Syria. However, the Lebanese Armed Forces are considered by many to be the only functioning institution in Lebanon, transcending sectarian divides. This is largely thanks to the successful United States program to train and equip it. The Lebanese Armed Forces are broadly respected and traditionally played an important role in promoting national unity with neutrality and moderation. They have also been instrumental in maintaining domestic security and in counterterrorism by tackling threats posed by groups like ISIS or al-Qaida. The United States needs to pursue a democratic, pluralistic, and sovereign Lebanon and the Armed Forces are a key part of that. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.”