US House Votes to Repeal Caesar Act Sanctions, Clears Path for Syria's Reintegration

House repeal of Caesar Act

On 10 December the U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act by embedding the repeal in the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

The amendment passed 312–112 and now moves to the Senate and then to the president for signature.

Multiple outlets reported the vote and legislative vehicle, with İlke Haber Ajansı describing it as embedding an "unconditional repeal in the 2026 Department of Defense budget bill" and citing the 312–112 tally.

Enab Baladi and The National also reported the bipartisan amendment passed 312–112 and will move to the Senate.

Because the repeal is included within a sprawling NDAA — noted by some outlets as a 3,000+ page bill — Senate action and the president’s signature are required to complete the process.

Caesar Act oversight terms

Although the House vote would repeal the Caesar Act, most sources emphasize that the repeal is conditional and tied to an oversight regime.

The measure requires frequent White House reporting and includes time-limited reviews.

Kurdistan24 described a replacement four-year, performance-based oversight regime with a 90-day initial report and then reports every 180 days, covering evaluations of Syria's fight against ISIS, accountability for human-rights abuses, and efforts to curb narcotics such as Captagon.

Rudaw outlined six benchmarks - cooperation against ISIS, inclusion and protection of minorities, refraining from unprovoked action, halting support for actors harmful to U.S. interests, removing foreign fighters from senior roles, and investigating abuses since December - and The National noted that 180-day reviews would run for four years with the option to reimpose sanctions on individuals if Damascus is off track.

Syria sanctions vote reaction

Syrian officials and pro-regime voices welcomed the House vote as a pivotal opening for economic recovery and reconstruction.

Anadolu Ajansı reported Damascus called the move the result of 'constructive diplomatic engagement' and a 'pivotal moment' that would improve imports, medical supplies and reconstruction prospects.

Enab Baladi quoted Syrian-American Council officials celebrating the vote as the hardest step toward a '2026 without sanctions.'

Al Jazeera noted human-rights advocates welcomed easing wartime economic sanctions as aiding recovery.

Several outlets recorded caveats, noting some sanctions tied to Russia and Iran remain excluded from the recent suspensions.

The Treasury and Commerce departments earlier issued a partial 180-day suspension with exceptions for dealings involving Russia and Iran.

U.S. policy toward Syria

Sources repeatedly highlight political context and wider U.S. policy threads across reporting.

Several outlets note the December 2024 overthrow of Bashar al‑Assad and his flight to Russia.

They report an emergent relationship between the U.S. administration and Syria’s transitional leadership.

Kurdistan24 explains the repeal follows Assad’s overthrow and Ahmed al‑Sharaa's return and says the Trump administration has expanded cooperation.

Al Jazeera reports that President Trump has already lifted many sanctions and met Ahmed al‑Sharaa.

The National and other outlets place the repeal within the broader NDAA, which also ties Lebanese aid to Hezbollah disarmament, maintains U.S. guarantees for Israel, and includes $800 million for Ukraine security assistance.

Enab Baladi and other sources point to earlier administrative moves — such as a limited 180‑day suspension by Treasury and Commerce — that signaled an easing prior to the House vote.

Media coverage differences

Coverage differences and omissions are visible across the sources.

West Asian and other outlets (Anadolu Ajansı, Enab Baladi, kurdistan24, rudaw) tend to highlight Syrian government reaction, reconstruction benefits, and the detailed benchmarks and reporting cadence.

The National (Western Alternative) stresses conditionality within the NDAA and broader U.S. policy tradeoffs.

Several outlets in the provided list did not supply full articles or instead requested the text (Latest news from Azerbaijan, Roya News, Al-Jazeera Net), which is an omission of coverage in this dataset.

Those request-for-text snippets explicitly note the absence of article content rather than reporting on the vote.

Together, the sources present a consistent core fact — the House vote and the 312–112 tally — but vary in emphasis, detail, and which remaining sanctions or exceptions they single out, notably transactions involving Russia and Iran.