Three bipartisan measures offered by Hill pass committee

U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) on Nov. 7 had significant legislative success with several measures that passed the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee during a markup session and now head to the full chamber for consideration.

The committee voted 44-0 to approve the bipartisan Illicit Captagon Trafficking Suppression Act of 2023, H.R. 4681, which Rep. Hill sponsored on July 17 with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) to impose new sanctions with respect to illicit captagon trafficking in Syria linked to the Bashar al-Assad regime.

“In addition to being a documented war criminal, Bashar al-Assad in Syria has become a transnational drug kingpin whose captagon drug is devastating families in the region and fueling his terror partnership with Iran and Hezbollah,” Rep. Hill said during the Tuesday markup.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee also voted 40-2 to approve the bipartisan Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act, H.R. 4175, introduced in June by U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH). Rep. Hill signed on to H.R. 4175 as a cosponsor in September.

If enacted, the bill would require or authorize various actions related to the confiscation and disposition of Russian sovereign assets, which include funds and other property of Russia’s central bank, direct investment fund, or ministry of finance, according to the congressional record bill summary.

“Russia should be held responsible for the cost of the damages stemming from its illegal invasion of Ukraine, not American taxpayers,” said Rep. Hill, who worked with Rep. McCaul during the markup to incorporate provisions from the Ukraine Reconstruction Act into H.R. 4175.

The committee on Tuesday also advanced the bipartisan House Resolution (H.Res.) 793, which Rep. Hill cosponsored on Oct. 17 with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). The congressman signed on as the lead original cosponsor of the resolution, which counted 195 other original cosponsors.

If enacted, H.Res. 793 would call on Hamas to immediately release all hostages taken during the October terrorist attacks on Israel. Reps. Hill and Stevens are co-chairs of the Congressional Task Force on American Hostages and Americans Wrongfully Detained Abroad.

“As I’ve stated before, releasing hostages and wrongful detainees should be the first steps,” Rep. Hill said. “Hamas will reap the whirlwind if these hostages are not recovered safely and promptly.”