Congresswoman Michelle Steel | Congresswoman Michelle Steel Official photo
Congresswoman Michelle Steel | Congresswoman Michelle Steel Official photo
On June 23, the House of Representatives House Committee on Foreign Affairs passed the bipartisan Solidifying Iran Sanctions Act (SISA) unanimously by voice vote. The bill was introduced by Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and joined by Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV), and 28 additional colleagues.
The legislation would make permanent the sanctions established by the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, which are set to expire in 2026. SISA would ensure the U.S. can maintain critical deterrents and apply pressure to the Iranian regime to prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“I am very grateful to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for voting to pass my bill, the Solidifying Iran Sanctions Act today,” said Steel.“Iran’s evil regime has proven they cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith. Only through strength can we show the path to peace, end their brutal attacks on their own people, and prevent a nuclear Iran. By making these sanctions permanent, the U.S. is signaling to Iran that we will not tolerate their continued aggression and to our allies that they must also increase their pressure on the rogue nation.”
“I commend Congresswoman Steel for her Solidifying Iran Sanctions Act and am proud to support this important legislation,” said Chairman McCaul. “This bill takes the long overdue step of striking the arbitrary sunset from the Iran Sanctions Act, so that sanctions against the regime will only be lifted if Iran stops its threatening behavior. Iran can’t run out the clock on U.S. law.”
“Today, my bill with Congresswoman Steel is one step closer to becoming law and keeping Iran in check,” said Lee. “Regardless of political party, Congress must stand firm against the Iranian regime’s brutal repression of its own people, its funding of terrorism abroad, and its reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
Background
The Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 allows the President to impose sanctions on Iran that restrain the regime’s ability to fund operations that endanger U.S. military personnel, Israel, and our Arab partners. Specifically, it places economic pressures on Iran’s energy sector to prevent the regime from acquiring the financial resources needed to support terrorism or further develop their nuclear or biological weapons.
The legislation is cosponsored by Michael McCaul (R-TX), Susie Lee (D-NV), Mike Waltz (R-FL), Pat Fallon (R-TX), David Trone (D-MD), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Ben Cline (R-VA), Carlos Gimenezs (R-FL), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), John Rutherford (R-FL), Thomas Kean (R-NJ), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Angie Craig (D-MN), Nick Langworthy (R-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Susan Wild (D-PA), Ryan Zinke (R-MT), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Dave Joyce (R-OH), August Pfluger (R-TX), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Kathy Manning (D-NC), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), and Brad Sherman (D-CA).
Read the full bill text here
Original source can be found here.
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