Tipsheet

House Passes Series of Iran-Related Legislation, With Some Telling 'No' Votes

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  April 18, 2024 1:30 PM

On Wednesday evening, the House voted on and passed a series of Iran-related legislation. This included the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act, which passed 285-135; the Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act, which passed 278-141; "To provide for the rescission of certain waivers and licenses relating to Iran, and for other purposes," which passed 259-160; and the Iran Counterterrorism Act, which passed 271-147. Earlier on Thursday, as Spencer covered, the House also voted for a resolution condemning the unprecedented missile attack that Iran launched against Israel over the weekend. 

The Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), "requires the Department of State to designate Ansarallah as a foreign terrorist organization," according to the bill's summary. It also requires "the President to impose property- and visa-blocking sanctions with respect to Ansarallah and any foreign person who is a member, agent, or affiliate of, or owned or controlled by Ansarallah."

The Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act, sponsored by Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) "restricts the President's authority to unilaterally undertake certain actions with respect to Iran and increases congressional oversight of those actions." The bill's summary also notes that "the President must report to Congress before terminating or waiving sanctions related to Iran or taking a licensing action that significantly alters U.S. foreign policy with respect to Iran."

That bill had a Democratic cosponsor, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (FL). 

The bill relating to waivers and licenses for Iran was sponsored by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX). It not only addresses the $6 billion unfrozen as part of a hostage negotiation, but the bill's summary also notes that "the President may not exercise waiver authority related to certain accounts belonging to Iran."

Recommended

Liberal Media Is Already Melting Down Over Pam Bondi Sarah Arnold
What Was the Matt Gaetz Attorney General Pick Really About? Josh Hammer

As Pfluger's post mentions, and as Spencer covered at the time, the announcement was made on the anniversary of September 11. 

The Iran Counterterrorism Act was sponsored by Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), and Moskowitz was also a cosponsor on this one. 

As Kim mentions in her post, the focus of the bill is to empower Congress when it comes to waiving sanctions on Iran. "Under this bill, the President may also waive the restrictions if the President determines that Iran has ceased to provide support for acts of international terrorism," the bill's summary mentions. "The bill also authorizes Congress to enact a joint resolution of disapproval to prevent the President from waiving the restrictions for national security purposes."

All of the legislation passed with bipartisan support, though all members of the Squad voted against all of them, just as was expected. 

From the time the legislation was announced, members communicated their outrage, including Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA), who is facing a primary challenger over her anti-Israel views and whose connections to Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA) could also affect that Senate race he's facing against Republican Dave McCormick. 

Other members also soon followed with their statements, with Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) condemning House Republicans, despite how every single one of the resolutions they voted against received bipartisan support. And again, two of these bills had Moskowitz as a Democratic cosponsor. 

The Squad members' votes weren't the only ones to watch, though. Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) is running for higher office against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in November, with Cruz being a particularly vocal voice on supporting Israel and speaking out against Iran. He's also listed as a cosponsor for the Senate version of the Iran Sanctions Relief Act. 

Allred has also supposedly been pro-Israel following the October 7 attack perpetrated by Hamas against our ally in the Middle East, yet he has ties to anti-Israel figures and organizations. On Wednesday, he voted against the Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act, Pfluger's bill about waivers and licenses for Iran, and the Iran Counterterrorism Act. 

Although the race is still very much in Cruz's favor, being regarded as "Likely Republican," it's still one of the seats that Democrats are targeting in a year that's particularly favorable to Republicans. 

Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is also running for higher office to fill what will be retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's (I-AZ) open seat. He voted against Pfluger's bill on waivers and licenses for Iran. 

His race, likely against Republican Kari Lake, is regarded as one of the "Toss-Up" races to watch.