FDD Welcomes House 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 of Representatives voted 404 to 0 to approve the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014, introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) and Brad Schneider (D-IL).

House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), co-authors of the bill who have been at the forefront of finding effective and innovative ways to combat terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, joined them.

 The legislation limits Hezbollah’s access to logistical support and expands sanctions by going after financial institutions that enable their deadly terrorist activities. Additionally, the legislation directs the Obama administration to provide greater detail on the activities of foreign governments to disrupt Hezbollah’s global logistics and fundraising networks, financing, and money laundering activities. The legislation enjoyed wide bipartisan support with 319 cosponsors.

“Congress has consistently led U.S. 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 world’s 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, General Qassem Suleimani.”

 “Mapping out and exposing Hezbollah’s corporate architecture 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.”  

 In May, 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.

Media Contacts:
Josh Silberberg,Foundation for Defense of Democracies
[email protected]
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