Dear Secretary Blinken:

As Members of Congress, we remain concerned about the dire situation in Lebanon. As follow
up to our letter sent on June 12, 2023 regarding Lebanon’s ongoing political crisis and the
Lebanese Parliament’s persistent inability to elect a president, we believe the United States
should adopt a more direct and assertive posture to motivate the government of Lebanon to
resolve the immediate presidential impasse and move toward substantive reforms.
As you know, this Friday, August 4, 2023, will mark the third anniversary of the tragic and
historic explosion in the Port of Beirut which heightened the public outcry for electoral reform
and representative government. The economic and humanitarian collapse of the country that
came further into focus after the blast has left over three-quarters of the population living in
poverty as the economy continues to fail, and the judicial review and judgment process of the
Beirut Port blast remains at a standstill.
These many challenges are compounded by the Lebanese parliament’s inability to elect a
president over the course of many months. Now with 12 failed attempts, Lebanon cannot proceed
with the reforms necessary to alleviate the political, judicial, economic, and humanitarian crises
the country faces or work to combat the influence of non-state actors and continued political
corruption. Inexplicably, some in the Lebanese Parliament would rather preserve the status quo
and see this suffering continue for their own continued political and personal gain, rather than
come together to elect a president who represents the needs of the Lebanese people.
As we have said before, if Parliamentary leaders and other political elites are unable to follow
through on Lebanon’s constitution, preserve a quorum, and allow for the multiple rounds of
balloting necessary for the selection of a president, the United States should consider more
serious measures. The time has come for such action.
We therefore ask for you to strongly consider moving forward to impose targeted sanctions,
including freezing any dollar-denominated assets, on those who have demonstrated a pattern of
obstructing the presidential election process, including Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri, among
others.
The United States has a strong interest in a stable, prosperous, and independent Lebanon. We
remain committed to such a vision and stand ready to work with you to support Lebanon on its
road to recovery and reform. Since the election of a president is a prerequisite to such progress,
we request your continued attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

Darrell Issa
Member of Congress

Darin Lahood
Member of Congress

Max Miller
Member of Congress