Reps. Meng, Issa, Sherrill, And Garbarino Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Address Security Threats In Lebanon

July 28, 2023
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) announced the introduction of the Strategic Lebanon Security Reporting Act, a bipartisan bill that would aid in addressing security threats in Lebanon.

The bill would direct the Secretary of State to submit a report to the appropriate Congressional committee (House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Appropriations subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs) that:

  • Identifies the extent of Hezbollah’s influence within the legislative, judicial, and financial institutions of Lebanon;
  • Describes the military actives conducted by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701;
  • Describes the extent of Iranian and Syrian influence in Lebanon;
  • Describes the capability of the LAF with respect to defending Lebanon’s border from threats from Syria; and,
  • Describes the steps taken by the LAF to prevent the forced return of Syrian refugees back to Syria.

 

Mired by a grueling economic crisis, Lebanon has been governed by a caretaker government for more than a year as Lebanese lawmakers have failed to come to an agreement on a successor presidential candidate. 

Meanwhile, tensions have been building on the Israel-Lebanon border as Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese militia and U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, has continued to invest millions of dollars in developing underground in cross-border attack tunnels and import and develop precision-guided missiles amassing an arsenal of approximately 150,000 missiles and rockets – all aimed at Israel. 

“The United States must continue with its commitments to Lebanon, helping to preserve its independence, sovereignty, national unity, stability and territorial integrity,” said Rep. Meng, a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. “This bill maintains our commitments to Lebanon, while also ensuring Congress has the information necessary to make informed decisions about future aid in order to further the security and stability of the region." 

“This legislation will shed important light on Lebanon’s security challenges, tell the truth about Syria’s continued involvement, and identify Iran’s malicious influence through its proxy Hezbollah -- the cancer of the Middle East. It will also detail the capabilities of Lebanon’s military and the ways the LAF can fulfill its essential role as a stabilizing institution,” said Rep. Issa. “These are dire days for Lebanon and its people, and the Strategic Lebanon Security and Reporting Act will bring heightened attention to the security dimension of the problems facing the country.”

“This bill comes at a time when understanding the internal and external dynamics of conflict in the Middle East has never been more crucial. If enacted, this legislation would provide us with a full picture of Hezbollah’s influence in the Lebanese government and how that is being handled and dismantled,” said Rep. Sherrill. “Considering Hezbollah’s animosity towards our partners in the region, and the long-running instability in Lebanon, Congress needs a complete assessment in order to make the right policy choices.”

A copy of the bill can be viewed here.