Washington, DC -- Today, Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY-17), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urged to President Barack Obama to respond to the repression in Syria by tightening sanctions against the regime.

“The Syrian regime of Bashar al Assad is murdering its own people.  Tanks and armed soldiers are attacking cities and civilians in this brutal campaign of repression.  The Administration’s actions taken so far against al-Assad, his family, and his associates have helped, but I believe it is time to significantly increase pressure by imposing penalties under the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Act of 2003 (Syria Accountability Act),” said Rep. Engel.

Rep. Engel was the author of the Syria Accountability Act, and is the lead Democratic sponsor of the Syria Freedom Support Act, along with Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL).  Along with Rep. Engel, the letter to President Obama (TEXT ATTACHED) is led by five other senior members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee:  Chairwoman Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Member Howard Berman (D-CA), and Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Steve Chabot (R-OH), and Connie Mack (R-FL).

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