Congress Passes Bill Targeting Hezbollah’s Finances
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah speaking at a rally in Beirut, Lebanon in 2006. Image by Getty
Legislation targeting the financing of Hezbollah passed both houses of Congress.
The House of Representatives unanimously approved the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 on Wednesday. President Barack Obama is expected to sign it into law.
The act directs the president to prohibit foreign banks from doing business with the Shiite militant group. The treasury would further be compelled to ban or sanction financial institutions that facilitate transactions with Hezbollah, which the United States classifies as a terrorist organization.
The bill originated in the House and was approved by the Senate last month. Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Reps. Ed Royce, R-Calif., and Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., authored the original legislation in their respective chambers.
The American Israel Public Affairs committee commended Congress for passing the legislation in a statement Wednesday.
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