June 26, 2014 | Press Release
FDD Welcomes Committee Approval of Bill Targeting Hezbollah’s Global Threat Network
WASHINGTON – In a strong sign of bipartisan support for intensified pressure on Hezbollah and its global terrorist network, the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously approved the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014, introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) and Brad Schneider (D-IL). They were joined by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), bill co-authors, who have been at the forefront of finding effective and innovative ways to combat terrorist groups such as Hezbollah.
The legislation limits the group’s access to logistical support and expands financial sanctions by going after those financial institutions that enable Hezbollah to commit deadly terrorist activities. The Committee also approved an important amendment authored by Reps. DeSantis (R-FL), Deutch (D-FL), and Meng (D-NY) directing the administration to provide greater detail on the activities of foreign governments to disrupt global logistics and fundraising networks, financing, and money laundering activities of Hezbollah. The legislation, which has 313 cosponsors, now awaits floor action.
“Congress has been at the forefront of efforts to disrupt ‘Hezbollah Inc.’ and the terrorist organization’s efforts to finance and commit attacks, spread its extremist message, and recruit new members,” said FDD Executive Director Mark Dubowitz. “This important bipartisan legislation is a critical new tool for the Obama administration to combat one of the most dangerous global terrorist organizations and a central player in the slaughter of innocents in Syria. Hezbollah is the long arm of Iranian terror and a tool of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his shadowy and powerful commander of the IRGC Quds Force, Gen. Qassem Suleimani.”
“By mapping out and exposing Hezbollah’s corporate architecture, this increases the financial and reputational risk premium for those who are doing or may consider doing business with a designated terrorist entity,” said Toby Dershowitz, FDD’s Vice President for Government Relations and Strategy. “Hopefully, this will be too high a price for individuals and companies to pay.”
Last month, Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bob Casey (D-PA), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Ben Cardin (D-MD), James Risch (R-ID), Ed Markey (D-MA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced similar legislation in the U.S. Senate.
About the Foundation for Defense of Democracies:
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)3 policy institute focusing on foreign policy and national security. Founded in 2001, FDD combines policy research, democracy and counterterrorism education, strategic communications and investigative journalism in support of its mission to promote pluralism, defend democratic values and fight the ideologies that drive terrorism. Visit our website at www.defenddemocracy.org and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
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