On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed with unanimous consent a bill taking aim at the financing of terrorism with legislators from the Sunshine State playing a major role in crafting the legislation
The Senate passed the “Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015” from presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH. The bill imposes sanctions on businesses and banks that knowingly work with Hezbollah and its affiliates including the al-Manar Hezbollah television station. The legislation also directs the president to report to Congress on Hezbollah’s efforts and what the U.S. government is doing to fight that terrorist group.
Rubio, who sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee, stressed on Tuesday the importance of the bill.
“We cannot afford to jeopardize our national security by letting Iran’s leading terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, continue to pose a direct threat to us and our allies including Israel,” Rubio said on Tuesday. “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."
“Hezbollah has American blood on its hands and remains an ever-present threat to our national defense and our allies, especially Israel," Shaheen said. "The U.S. government must be relentless in disrupting Hezbollah’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.”
The U.S. House passed the bill without opposition back in May but it now returns to that chamber after a minor amendment in the Senate. The House version was introduced by U.S. Rep. Edward Royce, R-Calif., with U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., as an original co-sponsor. U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., who is running for Rubio’s seat in 2016, was also a co-sponsor.
Deutch, the ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Middle East and North African Subcommittee, made the case for the bill back in May.
“Hezbollah is one of the most dangerous and deadly terrorist organizations in the world and has shown its willingness to attack around the globe,” Deutch said. “From arms dealing to drug trafficking to money laundering, Hezbollah relies on a sophisticated global financial network to fund its terrorist activities around the world. “
The Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 will force financial institutions around the world to choose between facilitating Hezbollah’s terror or accessing the American banking system,” Deutch added.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
