Senate Passes Shaheen-Rubio Bill Targeting Hizballah

Washington, D.C. – Today the U.S. Senate approved the “Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015,” a bipartisan effort led by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) to block the terrorist organization’s financing and limit the group’s access to logistical support.

The bill aims to sanction international financial institutions that knowingly engage in business with Hizballah and its enablers. It also identifies the organization’s satellite and internet providers that facilitate its messages to the al-Manar Hizballah television station.

The President would also be required to report to Congress on Hizballah’s involvement in narcotics trafficking and transnational crime as well as its global logistics networks and fundraising, financing, and money laundering activities, then ensure that adequate steps are being taken to root them out. 

“Hizballah has American blood on its hands and remains an ever-present threat to our national defense and our allies, especially Israel," said Shaheen. "The U.S. government must be relentless in disrupting Hizballah’s operations. This legislation turns the screws on its network of support and sends a message to Tehran that there will be zero tolerance for financing terrorism.”

“We cannot afford to jeopardize our national security by letting Iran’s leading terrorist proxy, Hizballah, continue to pose a direct threat to us and our allies including Israel,” Rubio said. “It is time for us to reveal the expansiveness of its dangerous network, and guarantee that our government is focused on eliminating this terrorist group.”

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider the legislation in the coming days.

A PDF of the bill is available here.