Senate Passes Syrian Sanctions Bill
In a surprise move, the Senate brought the Syrian Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Act of 2003 to a vote on the Senate floor late Tuesday afternoon and the measure passed by a vote of 89-4. The bill, H.R. 1828, passed the House by an overwhelming margin in October. The Senate version of the bill contained some minor amendments to the House version. It is not clear when the House will reconsider the bill. The President has indicated that he will sign the bill.