West OC Times

The House of Representatives has passed Rep. Michelle Steel’s bill, H.R. 3033, the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act (SISA), in response to Iran's recent attack against Israel. The bipartisan legislation aims to make the sanctions against Iran permanent by removing the arbitrary sunset provisions of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, which were set to expire in 2026.

During the floor debate of the bill, Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) emphasized the importance of the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act, stating, "There should be no sunset date to stopping funding for Iran-backed terrorism throughout the world." She highlighted the necessity of solidifying the sanctions to protect the people of Israel, American soldiers, and innocent individuals in the Middle East from the Iranian regime's threats.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Michael McCaul (R-TX), expressed his support for the bill, stating, "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."

Echoing the bipartisan support for the legislation, Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) emphasized the importance of standing firm against the Iranian regime's support for terrorism and pursuit of nuclear weapons. She stated, "I’m proud that our bipartisan legislation has broken through partisan gridlock at a crucial moment in the fight against terror."

The Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 enables the President to impose sanctions on Iran to hinder the regime's ability to support terrorism and develop weapons. The Act focuses on putting economic pressure on Iran's energy sector to prevent the regime from acquiring resources for nefarious activities.

Rep. Steel introduced the SISA with Rep. Lee and Chairman McCaul in 2023, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed the legislation in June of the same year. The full text of the bill and Rep. Steel's remarks on the House floor can be accessed for further details on the legislation.