The US House of Representatives passed a bill which outlaws the normalization of ties between Washington and Syria in protest of the brutal regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Written by Joe Wilson (R-SC), the “Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act” was passed by a vote of 389-32.

“This bill prohibits federal officials or employees from taking any action to recognize a Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad. The bill also expands existing sanctions related to the Syrian conflict to cover additional activities and persons,” the Congress announced.

Talking during the House session to discuss the draft law, Wilson said, “What happened in Syria was a merciless massacre, systematic rape, and chemical warfare used against the Syrian people.”

Assad’s “ability to kill the opposition and regain territory was made possible thanks to the support of like-minded war criminals … such as Putin and the Iranian regime," added Wilson, who serves as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Middle East Affairs of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Congress.

Toby Dershowitz, Managing Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, hailed the House’s move, saying it demonstrates that both Democrats and Republicans will continue to hold Assad and “his patron, the Islamic Republic of Iran” accountable for their actions.

Meanwhile, many Syrian activists also welcomed the passage of “Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act,” calling it “a step in the right direction.”

The act needs to be approved by the US Senate in order to be implemented.

The war in Syria, which broke out in 2011, still rages on with the UN estimating that more than 300,000 civilians were killed in the first decade of the conflict.

During its 13 years, the war has forced more than half of the country’s 22 million pre-war population to flee their homes, a major factor in Europe’s migrant crisis.