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Reps. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Susie Lee (D-NV) led eight of their House colleagues to introduce the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act (SISA), to make the sanctions established by the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 permanent. The bill is a companion to Senate legislation introduced by Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV). The provisions of 1996 Act are set to expire in 2026. The SISA would ensure the U.S. can maintain critical deterrents and apply pressure to the Iranian regime to prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“From brutal abuses committed against its own people, to its never-ending threats towards free and democratic societies, the Iranian regime has proven time and again that they are a rogue state with no interest in preserving regional or global peace,” said Rep. Steel. “It is more important than ever that we prevent the unacceptable threat of a nuclear Iran from becoming a reality. Existing sanctions have proven successful in preventing such a catastrophe, and we must ensure that we can continue to place economic and strategic pressures on Iran to prevent them from developing nuclear weapons or supporting terrorists. I’m proud to partner with Senator Scott on this issue, and to lead this bipartisan group of my House colleagues to send a clear signal that the United States will not tolerate existential threats against us, our allies, or freedom and democracy around the world.”
“Iran remains a severe threat to the Middle East and global stability on many fronts,” said Rep. Lee. I introduced this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to make permanent the Iran Sanctions Act, a landmark law that has protected the United States and our allies against Iran’s threats since 1996. With Iran closer than ever to obtaining nuclear weapons, we must use every tool in our toolbox to prevent the Iranian regime, and its collaborators, from dragging the world down a dangerous path. This legislation will ensure that we can continue to levy sanctions targeting Iran for its destabilizing activities, including its illicit weapons program and financial support for terrorism. The United States must stand firm in stopping Iran from threatening the security of the United States and Israel, our strongest ally in the region. By extending the Iran Sanctions Act beyond its expiration in 2026, this bill ensures we are able to do just that.”
“The United States, Israel, and our Arab partners remain concerned about the looming threat that a nuclear Iran poses to the stability of the region,” said Senator Scott. “U.S. sanctions are a necessary deterrent for this dangerous and unstable regime, which is why this bill will make the cornerstone of sanctions on Iran permanent.”
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 s energy sector to prevent the regime from acquiring the financial resources needed to support terrorism or further develop their nuclear or biological weapons.
Additional House cosponsors of the bill include Reps. Angie Craig (D-MN), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), David Trone (D-MD), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Susan Wild (D-PA), Kathy Manning (D-NC), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Mike Waltz (R-FL), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), Randy Weber (R-TX), David Rouzer (R-NC), John Rutherford (R-FL), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Grace Meng (D-NY), and David Joyce (R-OH).
