The US House of Representatives has approved a National Defense Authorization Act bill that includes the repeal of the 'Caesar' sanctions imposed on Syria for years. This was discussed as part of the defense budget for 2026. US Congressman Joe Wilson expressed his gratitude for the House of Representatives' full approval of the repeal of the Caesar Act, stating his hope for its passage by the Senate in the coming days and then its signature by US President Donald Trump. Wilson said on the platform X: 'I am grateful for introducing the full repeal legislation in the House of Representatives in May and for leading the efforts in the House over the past six months.' He added: 'I am also grateful for the support of President Trump, Ambassador Barak, and Senator Shaheen to make this a reality, and I look forward to the Senate passing it in the coming days and then it going to President Trump's desk to sign to make Syria great again.' Wilson had confirmed yesterday his work with the US envoy to Syria, Thomas Barak, to contribute to resolving issues related to Syria and give it a chance to restore its role. According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the repeal was comprehensive and without any conditions, as part of an article included in the US defense budget for 2026, following intensive diplomatic efforts made by the Syrian government, supported by the Syrian community and active Syrian-American organizations in Washington, in addition to the support of brotherly and friendly countries that worked to lift these sanctions that had weighed heavily on Syrians. The US Congress had passed the Caesar Act in 2019 to punish the Bashar al-Assad regime for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Syrians, and the law derived its name from Firas al-Khader, who leaked thousands of horrific photos of detainees who died under torture in the previous regime's prisons, and the law imposed broad sanctions targeting individuals, companies, and entities linked to the regime.
