Administration moving to block anti-Syria bill

The Bush administration is moving to block a bill that recommends sanctioning Syria for its continued support of terrorism and other bad behavior. It is the administration’s latest attempt in a series of efforts to block legislation being pushed by pro-Israel lobbyists.

Last Thursday, congressmen Eliot Engel (D-New York) and Dick Armey (R-Texas) introduced the bill. A similar version was introduced in the Senate.

Subsequently, Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs Paul Kelly drafted a letter to Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Delaware) expressing the administration’s opposition to the bill. Biden, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, had sought the department’s opinion. As of Tuesday night, he had not received a copy of Kelly's letter.