Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, and Congressman Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., sent a joint letter to President Trump on May 4 urging him and the administration to reconsider their decision to freeze funding to the White Helmets in Syria.

The White Helmets, also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, are a group of volunteers who work across the country to help victims of the continuous bombings, airstrikes, and other attacks since the start of the Syrian War in 2011.

The group was nominated for the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for their work and just a few months ago, they visited the State Department and Capitol Hill, praised for their heroic work to save lives.

“The White Helmets risk life and limb to save the lives of thousands of Syrians. These unarmed volunteers put their lives on the line to carry out daring search-and-rescue missions amid bombings, airstrikes, or other attacks on their neighbors and fellow Syrians. And for that selfless work, they’ve been targeted by the Assad regime, the Russians, and the Iranians,” Kinzinger said. “They have saved thousands of lives and this funding is critical to their continued efforts as the Syrian War continues.”

Kinzinger and Boyle both serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and are the founding co-chairmen of the Friends of a Free, Stable, and Democratic Syria Caucus in the House.


The original article can be found on the Morris Herald-News website here.