Author: ATFL

Washington, DC, June 15th, 2023. The American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), a leadership organization of Americans of Lebanese descent, welcomes Lebanon’s parliamentary session yesterday to elect a president. However, in spite of a promise to keep the session open by Speaker Berri, it adjourned prematurely, yet again denying the Lebanese people a functioning government capable of undertaking the reforms necessary to rescue the country from its current financial and political crises.   
 
We call on the Lebanese Parliament and all political actors to support a candidate for president who is free of corruption, capable of uniting the country, advocating for transparency and accountability, putting the interests of Lebanon’s people first, moving towards national unity, and implementing critical economic reforms.
 
Over the last several weeks, three bipartisan Congressional letters from senior US Senators and Representatives have also outlined their grave concerns over the lack of progress in electing the nation’s next president, calling for parliamentary leaders to not only open a legislative session to elect a president but also to keep it open through multiple rounds of voting in order to elect a president by majority vote. 
 
On April 25th, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Jim Risch (R-ID), said, “We remain discouraged by the ongoing political deadlock, engineered by Hezbollah and its allies, like Nabih Berri, to wear down the opposition to its preferred candidate at the expense of candidates with broader support who are more willing to tackle Lebanon’s many challenges.” 
 
On May 30th, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressmen Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), said, “We also call on the Administration to use all available authorities, including additional targeted sanctions on specific individuals contributing to corruption and impeding progress in the country, to make clear to Lebanon’s political class that the status quo is not acceptable.”  
 
On June 12th, the Co-Chairs of the bipartisan US-Lebanon Friendship Caucus, Representatives Darrell Issa (R-CA), Darin LaHood (R-IL), and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), wrote, “If Parliamentary leaders and other political elites are unable to follow through on Lebanon’s own constitution, preserve a quorum, and allow the multiple rounds of balloting necessary for the selection of a president, the United States and our partners and allies in the region, must consider more serious measures.”  
 
The Biden Administration also made clear their position, when State Department Under Secretary Nuland tweeted, “(I) had a constructive call with Lebanese Speaker Berri about the urgency of electing a president and enacting legislation on critically needed IMF reforms. (I) appreciate his commitment to try to keep quorum and hold open electoral sessions as long as it takes to get the job done.” 
 
ATFL President Ed Gabriel remarked, “We welcome Speaker Berri’s decision to hold a vote, but it appears he did not fulfill his commitment to Under Secretary Nuland to both open a session and hold it open for as long as it takes to get the job done. It is disappointing that the process of electing a president appears to be no closer to a resolution.”

Washington, DC, June 2nd, 2023. The American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), a leadership organization of Americans of Lebanese descent, applauds the bipartisan letter co-signed by the Chairman and Ranking Democrat of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), Congressmen Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), calling on the United States and its European partners to reiterate the urgency that  the Lebanese parliament  elect a president who is free from corruption and undue external influence and for the Lebanese government to deliver vital economic reforms.

Delivered on May 30th to US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, this bipartisan letter made especially clear to the Biden Administration of its need to, “use all available authorities, including additional targeted sanctions on specific individuals contributing to corruption and impeding progress in the country, to make clear to Lebanon’s political class that the status quo is not acceptable.”

The Congressmen’s letter came one day before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) hearing on the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget request for the Middle East and North Africa, in which Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf and Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for the Middle East at USAID Jeanne Pryor were called as witnesses. When asked by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) on the utility of sanctions as a measure of the Biden Administration to address the unacceptable status quo in Lebanon, Assistant Secretary Leaf responded in the affirmative, saying “We are working collaboratively with several regional partners, European partners, to push the Lebanese parliament to do its job. The elected representatives of the Lebanese people have failed to do their jobs; the Speaker of the Parliament has failed to hold a session since January to allow members to put candidates forward for the presidency to vote on them up or down and to get to a choice, to get to elect a president who will then appoint.” 

ATFL applauds the efforts of the United States, from both Congress and the Administration, to support the Lebanese people and encourage their future well-being. On May 18th, ATFL met with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), to urge continued American  commitment to support the Lebanese Armed Forces and to provide humanitarian aid to Lebanon’s vulnerable populations, as well as active engagement in supporting Lebanon’s democratic selection of a president who is committed to reforms, addresses the vital economic reforms, and is transparent with and accountable to the Lebanese people.

The statements that have been issued over the last several weeks by both the State Department and bipartisan leaders in the US Senate and House of Representatives are extremely crucial to supporting Lebanon’s urgent need to rescue itself from its multiple crises.

ATFL President Ed Gabriel said, “ATFL will continue to work with those in Washington who have been instrumental in crafting a strong US response to the Lebanese political paralysis, which has obstructed efforts to enact urgent economic reforms. Senators Menendez, Risch, and Shaheen, along with bipartisan colleagues in the House like Congressmen McCaul, Meeks, Wilson, Diaz Balart and Phillips, are invaluable friends of Lebanon.” He added, “Their partners at the State Department under the leadership of Secretary Blinken, Assistant Secretary Leaf, and others also deserve our thanks for all of their efforts to assist Lebanon during this time of unprecedented need. These friendships should not be taken for granted by Lebanon’s elected officials as they continue to squander critical opportunities for their country’s recovery.”

Washington, DC, June 2nd, 2023. The American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), a leadership organization of Americans of Lebanese descent, applauds the bipartisan letter co-signed by the Chairman and Ranking Democrat of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), Congressmen Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), calling on the United States and its European partners to reiterate the urgency that  the Lebanese parliament  elect a president who is free from corruption and undue external influence and for the Lebanese government to deliver vital economic reforms.
 
Delivered on May 30th  to  US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, this bipartisan letter made especially clear to the Biden Administration of its need to, “use all available authorities, including additional targeted sanctions on specific individuals contributing to corruption and impeding progress in the country, to make clear to Lebanon’s political class that the status quo is not acceptable.”
 
The Congressmen’s letter came one day before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) hearing on the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget request for the Middle East and North Africa, in which Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf and Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for the Middle East at USAID Jeanne Pryor were called as witnesses. When asked by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) on the utility of sanctions as a measure of the Biden Administration to address the unacceptable status quo in Lebanon, Assistant Secretary Leaf responded in the affirmative, saying “We are working collaboratively with several regional partners, European partners, to push the Lebanese parliament to do its job. The elected representatives of the Lebanese people have failed to do their jobs; the Speaker of the Parliament has failed to hold a session since January to allow members to put candidates forward for the presidency to vote on them up or down and to get to a choice, to get to elect a president who will then appoint.” 
 
ATFL applauds the efforts of the United States, from both Congress and the Administration, to support the Lebanese people and encourage their future well-being. On May 18th, ATFL met with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), to urge continued American  commitment to support the Lebanese Armed Forces and to provide humanitarian aid to Lebanon’s vulnerable populations, as well as active engagement in supporting Lebanon’s democratic selection of a president who is committed to reforms, addresses the vital economic reforms, and is transparent with and accountable to the Lebanese people.
 
The statements that have been issued over the last several weeks by both the State Department and bipartisan leaders in the US Senate and House of Representatives are extremely crucial to supporting Lebanon’s urgent need to rescue itself from its multiple crises.

ATFL President Ed Gabriel said, “ATFL will continue to work with those in Washington who have been instrumental in crafting a strong US response to the Lebanese political paralysis, which has obstructed efforts to enact urgent economic reforms. Senators Menendez, Risch, and Shaheen, along with bipartisan colleagues in the House like Congressmen McCaul, Meeks, Wilson, Diaz Balart and Phillips, are invaluable friends of Lebanon.” He added, “Their partners at the State Department under the leadership of Secretary Blinken, Assistant Secretary Leaf, and others also deserve our thanks for all of their efforts to assist Lebanon during this time of unprecedented need. These friendships should not be taken for granted by Lebanon’s elected officials as they continue to squander critical opportunities for their country’s recovery.”