US Senate passes repeal of Caesar Act sanctions on Syria
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The US Senate voted Wednesday to repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, sending the measure to President Donald Trump for his signature.
The vote came as Syria marks one year since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad.
The provision was included in the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which cleared the Senate by 77-20. The House approved the 3,000-page bill last week. Trump now has 10 days to sign it into law.
Signed during Trump’s first term, the Caesar Act was designed to punish Assad, Russia, and Iran for the war in Syria, which has killed more than 500,000 people. The bipartisan law imposed sanctions on anyone supporting Syria’s military or conducting business with the government, especially in construction, engineering, energy, or aviation.
Despite Assad’s ouster in December 2024, the sanctions remained. Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who recently met Trump at the White House, had urged lawmakers to lift the sanctions, claiming they were blocking Syria’s post-war recovery.
Weeks of negotiations between Congress and the White House led to the inclusion of the repeal in the NDAA. The Trump administration had previously issued two six-month waivers suspending the Caesar Act, but lawmakers and analysts said a permanent repeal was necessary to restore confidence among foreign investors.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) spearheaded efforts to repeal the law without conditions. In an op-ed published Tuesday, they wrote, “The all-encompassing sanctions regime imposed on Assad is now keeping Syria out in the cold. We now have a generational window to repeal the Caesar Act and make one of the most consequential and combustible regions in the world more stable and more aligned with our values and interests.”
The NDAA language repeals the Caesar Act entirely. Still, it requires the president to submit a report to Congress every six months for the next four years detailing Syria’s progress on key issues, including the expulsion of foreign fighters, treatment of minorities, and relations with 'Israel'. The president “may consider” imposing targeted individual sanctions if these certifications are not met for a full year.
