Shaheen-Rubio Hizballah Sanctions Bill Passes House, Heads to President’s Desk

Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the “Hizbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015,” a bill sponsored 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 authorizes sanctions on 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.

Following Senate passage in November, Hizballah officially condemned this legislation.

“Hizballah has American blood on its hands and remains an ever-present threat to our national security and that of our allies, especially Israel," said Shaheen. "This legislation will ensure that our government is comprehensively targeting Hizballah’s networks of support and holding its backers accountable. I urge the President to put these measures into effect as soon as possible.”

“America and our allies in the Middle East will be safer when we take these steps to weaken Hezbollah and, by extension, their Iranian masters. We know these sanctions will work because Hezbollah has already condemned them,” Rubio said. “It's critical that the administration get to work right away in implementing these sanctions that targets financing that Hezbollah ultimately uses to rain rockets down on Israeli civilians and carry out Iran’s orders in wreaking havoc and mayhem across the Middle East. Hezbollah and its sponsor Iran should know that America will not back down in the face of terrorism, and we will continue to stand up for our allies.”