WASHINGTON — Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously advanced Congressman Jim Banks’ legislation, the MAHSA Act, to sanction Iran’s Supreme Leader and his inner circle for human rights abuses and support for terrorism. The Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously voted to report the MAHSA Act to the Rules Committee, which is expected to report the bill to the full chamber for a vote.
“There is broad opposition in Congress to the Iranian regimes’ aggression and internal repression. I hope that today’s markup convinced the White House that any attempt to appease the Ayatollah and provide Iran with sanctions relief will be met with unanimous condemnation. I’d like to thank Chairman McCaul for supporting this important legislation, and I’d like to thank Rep. Cory Mills for working with me to preserve the strength of the bills’ intended sanctions as well as all the Foreign Affairs Committee Members and outside advocates who worked tirelessly to advance the MAHSA Act and hold Iran accountable for its human rights violations,” said Congressman Banks. “I will be monitoring technical changes to the bill and I look forward to voting for its final passage on the House floor in the coming months.”
Background:
The bill requires the executive branch to impose applicable sanctions on Iran’s Supreme Leader, the Supreme Leader’s Office and his appointees, Iran’s president and cabinet officials, foundations and other entities affiliated with the Supreme Leader under section 105(c) of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2021, and Executive Orders 13876, 13553, 13224, and 13818. This bill is intended to hold the most malicious elements of Iran’s regime accountable for human rights abuses like the death of Mahsa Amini and the regime’s terrorist activity while avoiding collateral damage to ordinary Iranians.
The MAHSA Act has 97 House cosponsors and is supported by the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Rep. Banks first introduced the MAHSA Act during the 117th Congress after the tragic murder of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran’s morality police triggered pro-democracy and anti-regime protests across the country.
