Dan Kildee: “I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation, H.R. 31, the Caesar Syria…”

“I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation, H.R. 31, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019. I am a proud original cosponsor of this legislation. Over 7 years, nearly half a million Syrians killed, 6 million Syrians driven from their country, over 10 million Syrians displaced and forced from their homes, and countless acts of atrocities from the Assad regime. Clearly, it is time for this Congress to act, and this bill would do that. It would bring much-needed accountability to the Assad regime, which is responsible for horrific crimes, crimes against its own people. It would do so by allowing sanctions to be imposed on people who contribute to these coldhearted and merciless acts. It would require the Treasury Department to determine whether to target Syria's Central Bank with money laundering countermeasures. Quite simply, I agree with Chairman Engel. We need a political solution that ends Assad's crimes, removes him from power, and allows the Syrian people to develop their own future for their own country. Assad must be held accountable for the massacre of his own people, and this bill will begin to do just that. Additionally, Russia and Assad must stop standing by and systematically allowing ISIS to attack minority populations in Syria, including the Druze people.…”