2024: Fitzpatrick Voted To Clarify That Limitations On Aid To Syria
Apply To Both Direct And Indirect Support Of The Bashar Al-Assad
Regime. In June 2024, Fitzpatrick voted for , according to
Congressional Quarterly, "amendment no. 75 that would add language to
clarify that the bill's limitations on funding to Syria would apply to
both direct and indirect support to the regime of Bashar al-Assad." The
vote was on the amendment. The underlying legislation was the FY 2025
State-Foreign Operations Appropriations. The House adopted the amendment
by a vote of 257 to 154. [House Vote 322,
6/27/24; Congressional
Quarterly, 6/27/24;
Congressional Actions,
H.Amdt.1066;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
8771]
2021: Fitzpatrick Voted Against An Amendment That Would Prohibit U.S.
Military Presence In Syria Without Congressional Approval Within A Year
Of The National Defense Authorization Act FY 2022's Enactment. In
September 2021, Fitzpatrick voted against an amendment to the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 which would, according to
Congressional Quarterly, "prohibit U.S. military presence in Syria
without congressional approval, beginning one year after the bill's
enactment." The vote was on adoption of an amendment. The House rejected
the amendment by a vote of 141-286. [House Vote 276,
9/23/21; Congressional
Quarterly, 9/23/21;
Congressional Actions, H.Amdt.
111;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
4350]
2022: Fitzpatrick Voted Against An Amendment That Would Have
Prohibited U.S. Troops In Syria Without Congressional Approval. In
July 2022, according to Congressional Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted
against an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2023, which would "prohibit U.S. military presence in Syria
without Congressional approval, beginning one year after enactment." The
vote was on the adoption of an amendment. The House rejected the
amendment by a vote 155-273. [House Vote 335,
7/14/22; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/14/22;
Congressional Actions, H.Amdt.
272;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
7900]
2023: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Removing U.S. Armed Forces From Syria
Within 180 Days. In March 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly,
Fitzpatrick voted against a resolution that would "direct the president
to remove U.S. armed forces from Syria within 180 days of adoption of
the concurrent resolution." The vote was on passage. The House rejected
the resolution by a vote of 103 to 321. [House Vote 136,
3/8/23; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/8/23;
Congressional Actions, H.Con. Res.
21]
The Resolution Would Have Effectively Forced President Biden To
Remove About 900 U.S. Troops From Syria. According to
Congressional Quarterly, "The House rejected an effort Wednesday to
effectively force President Joe Biden to remove roughly 900 U.S.
troops from Syria." [Congressional Quarterly,
3/8/23]
The U.S. Troops In Northeast Syria Assist The Syrian Democratic
Forces In Countering The Islamic State's Presence. According to
Congressional Quarterly, "Roughly 900 U.S. troops, many of them
special forces, remain in northeast Syria. Through them, the United
States is able to assist the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a
coalition of Kurdish, Arab and other ethnic militias and rebel
groups, in keeping the Islamic State's lingering presence in the
region in check." [Congressional Quarterly,
3/8/23]
If The U.S. Were To Withdraw From Syria, The Refugee Camp That The
Syrian Democratic Forces Oversee Would Erode And Refugees Would
Flee. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The SDF oversees a
refugee camp in the region, where tens of thousands of people, many
of them related to ISIS fighters, reside. Also there are facilities
run by the SDF where ISIS fighters are held prisoner. Should U.S.
support for the SDF erode, those militants would likely escape."
[Congressional Quarterly,
3/8/23]
2024: Fitzpatrick Voted To Enact Sanctions On Individuals Associated
With The Syrian Government That Engage In Activities To Contribute To
The Production Or Distribution Of Captagon. In April 2024, Fitzpatrick
voted for , according to Congressional Quarterly, "the bill (HR 4681),
as amended, that would impose sanctions on individuals, entities and
networks associated with the Syrian government the president determined
has engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions
that would contribute to, or pose a risk of materially contributing to,
the production or distribution of captagon. It also would sanction those
who knowingly receive property or interest in property that the foreign
person knows is associated with the illicit production and distribution
of captagon. Sanctions would include prohibiting transactions in
property or interests in property; ineligibility for visas, admission or
being paroled into the U.S. and the revocation of any current visa. The
bill would allow sanctions to be waived if the president submits a
written determination and justification to the House Foreign Affairs and
Judiciary committees and the Senate Foreign Relations, Judiciary and
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committees if the waiver is important
to the national security interests of the United States. It also would
allow waivers for humanitarian assistance." The vote was on passage. The
House passed the bill by a vote of 410 to 13. [House Vote 129,
4/16/24; Congressional
Quarterly, 4/16/24;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
4681]
2024: Fitzpatrick Voted To Expand Sanctions On Syria. In February
2024, Fitzpatrick voted for , according to Congressional Quarterly, "the
bill that would extend and expand sanctions authority under the 2019
Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, extending the president's
authority to impose sanctions through 2032 and allowing the president to
impose sanctions on any person or entity that provides significant
financial, material, or technological support to specific Syrian groups
and companies. It would prohibit any action by the U.S. government to
recognize or imply that the U.S. recognizes Bashar al-Assad or any
government in Syria that is led by him. It also would expand who is
sanctionable to include adult family members of a foreign person who
violated the prohibition in the law, along with any entities owned or
controlled by such individuals, with the exception of family members who
the president determines have dissociated themselves from such
individuals. Under the bill, sanctionable conduct would include
knowingly engaging in the following: providing significant commercial
financial services (over $5 million) to the Syrian government,
providing significant financial, material or technological support to
(or knowingly engaging in a significant transaction with) Syria Arab
Airlines, Cham Wings or any foreign entity owned or controlled by either
company, or diverting goods or international humanitarian assistance
intended for the Syrian people. It also would require the president to
make a determination, within 120 days of receiving a request from a
certain congressional committee, on whether sanctions should be imposed
against a specific person or entity." The vote was on passage. The House
passed the bill by a vote of 389 to 32. [House Vote 49,
2/14/24; Congressional
Quarterly, 2/14/24;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
3202]
2019: Fitzpatrick Voted For Condemning President Trump's Decision To
Withdraw Troops From Syria. In October 2019, Fitzpatrick voted for a
joint resolution that would, according to Congressional Quarterly,
"express the sense of Congress opposing the decision to end U.S. efforts
to prevent Turkish military operations against Syrian Kurdish forces in
northeast Syria. It would call on Turkish President Erdogan to
immediately cease military action in northeast Syria; call on the U.S.
to continue its support of Syrian Kurdish communities and to ensure the
Turkish military acts with restraint in Syria; and call on the Trump
administration to present a 'clear and specific' plan for the defeat of
ISIS." The vote was on a motion to suspend the rules and pass the joint
resolution. The House agreed to the motion and adopted the joint
resolution by a vote of 354-60. The joint resolution was never taken up
in the Senate. [House Vote 560,
10/16/19; Congressional
Quarterly, 10/16/19;
Congressional Actions,
H.J.Res.77]