Mast comes under pressure to approve Trump's directive to lift Syria sanctions

A coalition of civil society groups are pressuring Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to greenlight the full repeal of U.S. sanctions in Syria, a key priority for President Trump.

While a bipartisan and bicameral coalition is working to include a full repeal of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Mast has expressed concerns over the unconditional lifting of sanctions. 

“Discussions on Caesar Repeal are ongoing but my concerns should be obvious to anyone following the situation in Syria,” Mast said in a statement to The Hill, without elaborating. 

There’s a bipartisan and bicameral group that is increasingly cautious about fully repealing sanctions, arguing the government headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who remains a U.S.-designated terrorist, has more to prove in demonstrating commitments to inclusive governance, protection for minorities, religious freedom and justice. 

Negotiations over the NDAA text are ongoing, and the bill cannot move forward without the approval of committee chairs with jurisdiction over legislation included in the bill. Mast, as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has to sign off on language related to Caesar’s repeal. 

His concerns have triggered anxiety among supporters of a full repeal and bucks the administration’s priorities ahead of a high-profile visit by Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House on Monday. 

“The Trump Administration supports the full repeal of the Caesar Act,” a senior administration official told The Hill. “This is in line with the President’s announcement on cessation of sanctions. Removal is key to allow U.S. business and regional states to operate in Syria.”

The Syrian Emergency Task Force, who helped author the original Caesar Act, sent a letter to Mast on Tuesday calling for a “clean, full and permanent repeal of the Caesar Act.”

The SETF is at the forefront of advocating for repealing Caesar, after al-Sharaa succeeded in overthrowing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December. 

Similarly, the families of Americans detained, disappeared or killed in Syria, also wrote to Mast on Tuesday urging repeal of the Caesar Act as necessary in order to get information on their loved ones. 

“While the law was originally meant to hold perpetrators of the Assad regime’s atrocities accountable, it now stands in the way of efforts that could help families like ours finally learn the fate of our loved ones.”

The letter was signed by Diane Foley, mother of James Foley, an American killed in Syria in 2014; Maryam Kamalmaz, daughter of Majd Kamalmaz who disappeared in Syria in 2017; Danny Samin, son of Jamil Samin, an American disappeared in Syria in 2013, and Americans who were wrongfully detained in Syria. 

And in an effort to demonstrate religious pluralism under al-Sharaa’s rule, Syrian American Rabbi Henry Yosef Hamra also wrote to Mast on Tuesday urging a full repeal of Caesar. 

“I write expressing Jewish Heritage in Syria (JHS) and my grave concern over Senate Amendment 3889 to Amendment 3748 of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham [(R-S.C.)]," he said.  

Supporters of Caeser's repeal have criticized Graham’s amendment as putting conditions on sanctions relief, even as lawmakers have worked to water down the language to guard against any snap back of financial penalties. 

“Lifting the Caesar sanctions is essential to restore synagogues and cemeteries, safeguard irreplaceable Jewish heritage, and re-establish a multi-faith community in Syria after more than 30 years in exile. Simply put, this amendment would be devastating to the Jewish community in Syria,” Hamra wrote.