Biden reports Syria sanctions amendments to Congress

President Joe Biden sent Congress a January 15, 2025 message reporting that he had issued an executive order amending Syria-related sanctions authority. The message said the order made minimal edits to Executive Order 13894 because certain operations referenced in that 2019 order had ceased five years earlier, while preserving authority to sanction people who threaten Syria's peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity or who commit serious human-rights abuse. The action mattered because Congress receives notice when presidents use emergency economic powers, making the message part of the oversight record for Syria sanctions.