Press Releases

Pearl River, N.Y. – 11/24/25… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, issued the following statement after the White House announced the designation of several Muslim Brotherhood chapters as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under U.S. law. The administration’s order targets regional branches responsible for financing, coordinating, or directly engaging in acts of terrorism and destabilization across the Middle East. 

“These designations are long overdue,” said Congressman Lawler. “For decades, chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood have actively supported extremist activity, propagated violent ideology, and undermined our partners in the Middle East. Designating these entities as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, the United States is sending a clear message, strengthening our counterterrorism posture in the region.”

“I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that the administration fully enforces these sanctions and continues confronting the extremist groups and proxies that fuel violence across the Middle East,” Lawler concluded. 

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

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