{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-shaheen-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-sanction-hezbollah-and-strengthen-lebanons-sovereignty/", "Lankford, Shaheen Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Sanction Hezbollah and Strengthen Lebanon\u2019s Sovereignty", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "Senate", "OK", "James Lankford", "L000575", "www.lankford.senate.gov", "lankford", "https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "page_html", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act, legislation to support Lebanon\u2019s rule of law and democratic institutions through targeted sanctions, support for expanding the state\u2019s civil authority, and security assistance to help the Lebanese state establish a monopoly of force over its territory, disarm Hezbollah, integrate communities into the state and free Lebanon from Iran\u2019s malign influence.\n\n\u201cFor decades, Iran has used Hezbollah to destabilize Lebanon, Israel, and threaten Americans who live in the region, but President Trump has created a real opening for change by bringing Israel and Lebanon to the table for the first direct talks in 30 years,\u201d said Lankford. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to introduce the Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act with Senator Shaheen. Our bill imposes tough sanctions on the network financing Hezbollah and provides security assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces. A sovereign Lebanon protects Lebanese, Israeli, and American citizens living in the region, and puts real pressure on the terrorists.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor the first time in decades, Lebanon has a real chance to reclaim its sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and break free from Iran\u2019s malign influence, but success depends on sustained American support,\u201d said Shaheen. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to introduce the bipartisan Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act with Senator Lankford. It combines tough sanctions on Hezbollah\u2019s enablers with targeted security and recovery assistance as well as congressional oversight. This legislation helps the Lebanese state extend its authority and build toward a peaceful future with its neighbors. A sovereign, stable Lebanon is firmly in America\u2019s interests, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\nThe Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act seizes on the opportunity presented by direct negotiations and the trilateral framework between the United States, Israel, and Lebanon to ensure the disarmament of Hezbollah, integrate Lebanese communities previously reliant on Hezbollah into the Lebanese state, and build toward peaceful relations between Lebanon and Israel.\n\nAfter years of Iranian proxy influence through Hezbollah, a banking sector crisis and challenges in government formation, Lebanon\u2019s reform-minded government represents the best chance in decades to secure a safe and prosperous future. While the Lebanese Armed Forces, with US support to coordinate with the Israel Defense Forces, have made progress in disarming Hezbollah, Iran\u2019s illicit financing and support of the group remains a significant impediment to completing that effort. Deepening this crisis, an estimated 1.2 million people have been displaced from southern Lebanon, risking another regional crisis.\n\nThe Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act would:\n\nImpose sanctions on foreign persons who support Iran\u2019s financing of Hezbollah or obstruct Lebanon\u2019s efforts to disarm the group and reform its financial sector. Sanctions include blocking of property, financial transaction prohibitions and visa ineligibility, with exceptions for humanitarian assistance.\n\nSupport stabilization by continuing humanitarian assistance and establishing an incentive fund for recovery of infrastructure and civil services run by the state, as opposed to Hezbollah.\n\nAuthorize $200 million annually in security assistance to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces, conditioned on demonstrated progress against Hezbollah and with the opportunity to increase to $300 million annually if there is sufficient progress, including Foreign Military Financing and support to interdict weapons, Captagon and other illicit goods that fund the group.\n\nRequire recurring oversight, including reporting on Lebanon\u2019s progress in disarming Hezbollah, a strategy for use of stabilization and security funds to provide Lebanese communities with an alternative to Hezbollah, efforts to secure funding from international donors, US efforts to coordinate between the Lebanese Armed Forces and Israel Defense Forces, banking-sector reform and progress toward peaceful relations between Lebanon and Israel.\n\nYou can download the full bill text HERE and a one pager of the bill can be found HERE. You can learn more in Bloomberg HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.lankford.senate.gov/news/press-releases/lankford-shaheen-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-sanction-hezbollah-and-strengthen-lebanons-sovereignty/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0491572320461273, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}