House gives Lebanon a pass in Hezbollah sanctions bill
The House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed new sanctions on Hezbollah after removing some provisions that might have been harmful to Lebanon's economy.
House lawmakers stripped several critical references to Lebanon from Hezbollah sanctions legislation after hearing from concerned Lebanese bankers and government officials, Al-Monitor has learned.
The sanctions bill, whose substance was largely unchanged, sailed through the House Foreign Affairs Committee on a unanimous voice-vote on June 26 with strong support from the pro-Israel lobby American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., however, offered a substitute that strips a series of nonbinding congressional "findings" from the bill that Lebanon warned could further destabilize the country, multiple sources told Al-Monitor.
The bill, which was first reported by Al-Monitor, urges the Barack Obama administration to turn the screws on financial institutions — including the central banks of Lebanon and other nations — as well as media providers accused of aiding the Shiite militia and its media arm, Al-Manar. It was originally co-sponsored by Reps. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and Brad Schneider, D-Ill.
