Risch Applauds Committee Passage of Legislation to Counter Iran

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statements in support of legislation passed out of committee today:

End Iranian Terrorism (End IT) Act and Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act

"The Middle East is in an unprecedented period of turmoil. Last October, we witnessed the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, the largest terrorist attack against American citizens since 9-11, and the largest hostage crisis involving American citizens since 1979," said Risch. "More broadly, we're witnessing an expanding regional conflict with significant implications for American national security interests. This was made clear over the weekend when Iran launched a barrage of attacks on Israel from inside its own territory - the first time it has done so. Weak U.S. policy has failed to re-establish deterrence with Iran and only encouraged its malign behavior. It's past time to act, and Congress has a clear role to play in countering the Iranian regime."

"I am glad the committee voted in support of my End IT Act and Senator Rubio's SHIP Act to target Chinese purchases of Iranian oil, which are at their highest levels since 2018. This influx of oil revenue undercuts the enforcement of our sanctions and funds Iran's support for proxy terrorist organizations - like Hamas - and Russia's war against Ukraine," Risch continued. "These bills encourage the Biden Administration to issue new sanctions, enforce Iran oil sanctions already on the books, and to start taking concrete action to starve the regime of resources."

Text of the End IT Act as introduced can be found here. Text of the SHIP Act as introduced can be found here.

MAHSA Act

"I am grateful the committee advanced the MAHSA Act today. In the wake of the death of Mahsa Amini, the Iranian people bravely protested the regime's brutality and demonstrated their desire for a more peaceful and free Iran," said Risch. "This legislation rightfully imposes sanctions on Iran's supreme leader, president, and their respective offices for the human rights abuses and terrorism they have supported. I hope the Senate will act quickly to pass this legislation in coming weeks."

Text of the MAHSA Act as introduced can be found here.

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