{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr4695-116/featured_protect-against-conflict-by-turkey-act-1573369440.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr4695-116/featured_large_protect-against-conflict-by-turkey-act-1573369440.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr4695-116.png"},"introduced_on":"2019-10-16","title_override":"Should the U.S. Sanction Turkey for its Invasion of Northern Syria?","summary_override":"

This bill — Protect Against Conflict by Turkey (PACT) Act — would impose financial and travel sanctions on Turkey for its invasion of Northern Syria. These sanctions would target Turkish officials and entities involved in the incursion and those committing human rights abuses. It would also impose sanctions on Turkey for its acquisition of a Russian missile system under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, require a report on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s net worth, and condemn Turkey’s attacks against America’s Kurdish allies in Northern Syria.

Specifically, the bill would sanction Turkey’s ministers of defense and finance, and leading commanders in the Turkish Armed Forces. The State Dept., Treasury Dept., and Director of National Intelligence (DNI) would be required to submit a report to relevant congressional committees regarding the net worth of Turkish President Erdogan and his relatives, including their assets, investments, and other business interests.

Sanctions on Turkish officials would include blocking all financial transactions involving property and assets in the U.S., inadmissibility to the U.S., and the revocation of current visas. Exceptions to the visa sanctions would be made to allow an individual to go to the United Nations Headquarters.

This bill would prohibit arms transfers to Turkey if those defense articles would be used by Turkish units in Syria. This bill would also sanction Halkbank and other financial institutions that facilitate transactions related to the Turkish Armed Forces and defense industry and the Syria invasion, in addition to other foreign persons arming Turkey in Syria.

This bill would not authorize or require sanctions on Turkish goods to the U.S. It could also be waived by the president if deemed necessary to address humanitarian needs or national security interests. Sanctions unrelated to Turkey’s purchase of a Russian missile could be lifted by the president if the president notifies Congress that Turkey has stopped attacking Kurdish forces, isn’t hindering counterterrorism operations against ISIS, and its non-counterterrorism forces have withdrawn from Northern Syria.

This bill would also express the sense of Congress that Turkey’s invasion of Northern Syria is causing a severe humanitarian crisis and risks undoing the collective gains made in the fight against ISIS, including Turkey’s contributions as a NATO ally. Congress would call for Turkey to immediately stop attacks against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Kurdish civilians or other ethnic minorities in Northern Syria while returning its forces to Turkey. Further, it would note that recent actions by Turkey are examples of the weakening and problematic U.S.-Turkey bilateral relationship and undermines the security of the U.S. and NATO.

Additionally, this bill would express the sense of Congress that the SDF have been critical partners to the U.S. and allied counter-ISIS & counterterrorism efforts in Syria.

","official_title":"To impose sanctions with respect to Turkey, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Protect Against Conflict by Turkey Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Protect Against Conflict by Turkey Act or the PACT Act This bill addresses Turkey's military invasion of northern Syria. The President shall impose visa- and asset-blocking sanctions on specific Turkish officials connected to the invasion. The Department of State shall report on (1) other Turkish officials involved with the invasion; and (2) foreign persons that knowingly provided defense articles, services, or technology to Turkey that could be used in the invasion. Such foreign persons sha...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Turkish officials involved in its invasion of Northern Syria, particularly President Erdogan; and the U.S. government.","argument_for":"While Turkey is a longstanding NATO ally, its invasion of Northern Syria to target America’s Kurdish allies and purchase of a Russian missile system clearly show the deterioration of the U.S.-Turkey relationship. The U.S. should sanction Turkish officials involved in the invasion until it halts its operations against the Kurds to send a message that Turkey needs to start behaving like an ally.","argument_against":"Sanctioning Turkey for its invasion of Northern Syria will only worsen its relations with the U.S. and NATO, and make it more likely that Turkey continues to move closer to Russia. The U.S. has nothing to gain from interjecting itself in a long-running dispute between Turkey and the Kurds. Congress should consider the issues of Turkey’s invasion of Northern Syria and its purchase of Russian missiles separately.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr4695-116","bill_id":"hr4695-116","formal_id":"H.R. 4695","chamber":"house","congress":116,"last_action_at":"2019-10-30T00:00:00.000Z","active":false,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2019-10-29T00:00:00.000Z","debated_on":"2019-10-25T16:45:58.000Z","congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/4695","plain_text_url":null,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr4695-116.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/4695/text","is_current_congress":true,"last_version_on":null,"related_bill_ids":null,"progress":"Passed House","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":242,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Foreign Affairs","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSFA","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr4695-116","details":"/api/bills/hr4695-116/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr4695-116","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr4695-116/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr4695-116/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":104,"slug":"hr4695-116-protect-against-conflict-by-turkey-act","latest_chamber_votes_id":"hr4695-116","official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":1137,"yea_vote_count":1018,"nay_vote_count":118,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["international-trade-and-affairs"],"issue_ids":["sanctions","middle-east","international-trade-and-affairs"],"sponsor_id":427}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"sanctions","name":"Sanctions","slug":"sanctions","description":"Economic sanctions often used as leverage during diplomatic negotiations. Tell your congressperson how you feel about current legislation related to proposed U.S. sanctions!","page_title":"Sanctions Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/sanctions/black_sanctions-1429042062.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/sanctions/grey_sanctions-1429042062.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/sanctions/white_sanctions-1429042062.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"middle-east","name":"Middle East","slug":"middle-east","description":"The decisions of the U.S. Congress regarding the Middle East are critical in maintaining peace in the region, as well as the world. Tell your congressperson how you feel about current legislation related to the Middle East!","page_title":"Middle East Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/middle-east/black_middle-east-1429042055.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/middle-east/grey_middle-east-1429042055.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/middle-east/white_middle-east-1429042055.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"international-trade-and-affairs","name":"International Trade & Affairs","slug":"international-trade-and-affairs","description":"U.S. Congressional Legislation encompassing arms control treaties, human rights, international law, sanctions, and foreign aid. Recent legislation addressed approving the use of military force against ISIS (ISIL) in Iraq and Syria, the emerging situation in the Ukraine and Ebola. ","page_title":"US Federal legislation related to Foreign Aid, International Trade and Relations and Human Rights - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/black_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/grey_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/white_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Donald","vote_count":22,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/m8q2dpYM/following","followers":"/api/users/m8q2dpYM/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":90,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":2,"following_count":1,"position_count":24,"id":"m8q2dpYM","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"f6008670-6d35-4410-abcd-6508e05fa6ee","argument_for":"Sanction Turkey and do it with figor. Turkey is much like the USA, putting it's interest ahead of all others. With our President being the one who gave them the go ahead to cross the border and continue their genocide of the Kurdish people, well, how do we sanction our own President? Think about it and leave any thoughts here.","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/f6008670-6d35-4410-abcd-6508e05fa6ee"},"body":"Sanction Turkey and do it with figor. Turkey is much like the USA, putting it's interest ahead of all others. With our President being the one who gave them the go ahead to cross the border and continue their genocide of the Kurdish people, well, how do we sanction our own President? Think about it and leave any thoughts here.","stance":"yea","created_at":"2019-10-30T02:10:08.338Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/f6008670-6d35-4410-abcd-6508e05fa6ee.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr4695-116","user_id":"m8q2dpYM","endorser_ids":[]}}

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Should the U.S. Sanction Turkey for its Invasion of Northern Syria?