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People & committees
Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] · R–FL
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Jul 11, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-03-05 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed PAGER Act would block federal funding for Lebanon’s armed forces until the Secretary of State certifies that specified conditions concerning Hezbollah, Iran, and charges against certain Americans are met. It would also bar U.S. federal funds provided to the United Nations Development Programme from supporting livelihood assistance programs serving Lebanese military or internal security personnel. Both restrictions would begin 60 days after enactment. The bill also proposes a terrorism designation and recurring reports on Hezbollah’s and Iran’s influence in Lebanon’s government.
This Act may be cited as the Preventing Armed Groups from Engaging in Radicalism or the PAGER Act.
on and after the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, no Federal funds are authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to the armed forces of Lebanon until the date on which the Secretary of State certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that—
(7) any military aid previously received from Iran, whether in the form of weapons, ammunition, munitions, or equipment, is destroyed or disarmed;
Lebanese courts and military tribunals under the jurisdiction of the Lebanese armed forces dismiss all charges and arrest warrants against American citizens who have advocated against Hezbollah’s influence over the Government of Lebanon
On and after the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, no Federal funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to the United Nations Development Programme may be obligated or expended to support any livelihood support programs making assistance available to members of the Lebanese armed forces or the Lebanese internal security forces.
Suhil Bahij Gharab is designated as a specially designated global terrorist organization under Executive Order 13224
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter
a report on the influences of Hezbollah and the Government of Iran throughout the Government of Lebanon, including the Lebanese Ministry of Defense.
Section 2 would prohibit federal funding from being authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to Lebanon’s armed forces starting 60 days after enactment, overriding conflicting law. The restriction would end when the Secretary of State certifies to the designated congressional committees that all eight listed conditions are satisfied.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on and after the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, no Federal funds are authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to the armed forces of Lebanon until the date on which the Secretary of State certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that—
and (8) Lebanese courts and military tribunals under the jurisdiction of the Lebanese armed forces dismiss all charges and arrest warrants against American citizens who have advocated against Hezbollah’s influence over the Government of Lebanon, including American journalists who have appeared on Israeli news media or invited Israeli guests on their media programs.
One certification condition would require Lebanon’s government, including its Chamber of Deputies, to stop recognizing Hezbollah, Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, and Amal as legitimate political parties. It would also have to stop allowing ministers or other cabinet-level officials to belong to or claim alliance with those groups.
(1) the Government of Lebanon, including the Chamber of Deputies, no longer recognizes the legitimacy as political parties of, nor permits its ministers or other cabinet-level officials to be from or claim alliance with— (A) Hezbollah; (B) Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc; and (C) Amal;
Other conditions would require Hezbollah to have no remaining presence in Lebanon because of Lebanese military and internal security action implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559. That implementation would have to include expelling Hezbollah forces from known strongholds and increasing government security forces’ presence there to prevent Hezbollah’s return. The bill describes the resolution as calling for all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias to disband and disarm.
(2) Hezbollah no longer maintains any presence in Lebanon pursuant to action of the Lebanese Armed Forces and internal security forces to implement the clauses of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 (2004), which calls for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias; (3) such implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 includes the expulsion of Hezbollah forces from known strongholds; (4) the Lebanese Armed Forces and internal security forces have established an increased presence in areas known to be Hezbollah strongholds in order to prevent a resurgence of Hezbollah;
The Lebanese armed forces would have to maintain no coordination, collaboration, or support with Hezbollah, its affiliates, or any other U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization present in Lebanon at certification. Individual military members could neither coordinate with nor receive direct or indirect support from organizations or entities connected to the Iranian regime or Hezbollah in the ways the bill lists.
(5) the Lebanese Armed Forces do not maintain any coordination, collaboration, or support with Hezbollah, its affiliates, or any other group designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization that has a presence in Lebanon as of the date of such certification;
(6) no member of the Lebanese Armed Forces maintains any coordination with or receives any support, either directly or indirectly, from any entity or organization that is an agent of, affiliated with, or owned or controlled by the Iranian Regime or Hezbollah;
Certification would also require previously received Iranian military aid—whether weapons, ammunition, munitions, or equipment—to be destroyed or disarmed.
(7) any military aid previously received from Iran, whether in the form of weapons, ammunition, munitions, or equipment, is destroyed or disarmed;
The final certification condition would require Lebanese courts and military tribunals under Lebanese armed forces jurisdiction to dismiss all charges and arrest warrants against American citizens who advocated against Hezbollah’s influence over Lebanon’s government. The text expressly includes American journalists who appeared on Israeli news media or invited Israeli guests onto their programs. It does not limit dismissal to charges arising from that advocacy.
(8) Lebanese courts and military tribunals under the jurisdiction of the Lebanese armed forces dismiss all charges and arrest warrants against American citizens who have advocated against Hezbollah’s influence over the Government of Lebanon, including American journalists who have appeared on Israeli news media or invited Israeli guests on their media programs.
Starting 60 days after enactment, U.S. federal funds provided to the United Nations Development Programme could not be committed or spent to support livelihood assistance programs making help available to Lebanese military or internal security personnel. Section 3 contains no expiration date or exception tied to the certification that would end Section 2’s restriction.
On and after the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, no Federal funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to the United Nations Development Programme may be obligated or expended to support any livelihood support programs making assistance available to members of the Lebanese armed forces or the Lebanese internal security forces.
Section 4 would designate Suhil Bahij Gharab under Executive Order 13224, using the wording “specially designated global terrorist organization.” The bill describes that order as concerning property blocking and transaction prohibitions involving those who commit, threaten, or support terrorism.
Suhil Bahij Gharab is designated as a specially designated global terrorist organization under Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism).
The Secretary of State would have to report to the designated congressional committees within 180 days after enactment and every 180 days thereafter, consulting the Secretary of Defense and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Reports would address Hezbollah’s and Iran’s influence throughout Lebanon’s government, including its defense ministry. No reporting end date is specified.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the influences of Hezbollah and the Government of Iran throughout the Government of Lebanon, including the Lebanese Ministry of Defense.
The certification and reports would go to the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees and the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees.
In this Act, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.
the Secretary of State certifies to the appropriate congressional committees
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
The supplied actions snapshot, updated July 11, 2025, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on March 5, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2025-07-11T08:05:53Z. 2025-03-05: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. 2025-03-05: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-03-05. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
Evidence is limited
The complete supplied introduced text was reviewed, but the evidence does not resolve whether the possible separate-subject provision identified below is unrelated to the bill’s main subject. No attachment history is supplied.
Section 4 is a possible separate-subject provision because it names a designation target without explaining a connection to the bill’s restrictions on support for Lebanon’s forces. The text alone does not establish that it is an unrelated rider.
Suhil Bahij Gharab is designated as a specially designated global terrorist organization under Executive Order 13224
2. Limitations on United States support for the Lebanese armed forces
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the absence of earmarks in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied introduced text includes a narrowly defined legal benefit as a condition for ending the military funding restriction.
Section 2(8) would make dismissal of all charges and arrest warrants against Americans who advocated against Hezbollah’s influence a condition for ending the funding restriction. It expressly includes certain American journalists. This is targeted legal relief based on citizenship and advocacy, and the text does not restrict it to charges related to that advocacy.
no Federal funds are authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to the armed forces of Lebanon until the date on which the Secretary of State certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that—
(8) Lebanese courts and military tribunals under the jurisdiction of the Lebanese armed forces dismiss all charges and arrest warrants against American citizens who have advocated against Hezbollah’s influence over the Government of Lebanon, including American journalists who have appeared on Israeli news media or invited Israeli guests on their media programs.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jul 11, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI