[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 12, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4242-H4247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1615
        MAHSA AMINI HUMAN RIGHTS AND SECURITY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 589) to impose sanctions on the Supreme Leader of Iran and 
the President of Iran and their respective offices for human rights 
abuses and support for terrorism, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 589

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Mahsa Amini Human rights and 
     Security Accountability Act'' or the ``MAHSA Act''.

     SEC. 2. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS ON IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER'S 
                   OFFICE, ITS APPOINTEES, AND ANY AFFILIATED 
                   PERSONS.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Supreme Leader is an institution of the Islamic 
     Republic of Iran.
       (2) The Supreme Leader holds ultimate authority over Iran's 
     judiciary and security apparatus, including the Ministry of 
     Intelligence and Security, law enforcement forces under the 
     Interior Ministry, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 
     (IRGC), and the Basij, a nationwide volunteer paramilitary 
     group subordinate to the IRGC, all of which have engaged in 
     human rights abuses in Iran. Additionally the IRGC, a United 
     States designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, which 
     reports to the Supreme Leader, continues to perpetrate 
     terrorism around the globe, including attempts to kill and 
     kidnap American citizens on United States soil.
       (3) The Supreme Leader appoints the head of Iran's 
     judiciary. International observers continue to criticize the 
     lack of independence of Iran's judicial system and maintained 
     that trials disregarded international standards of fairness.
       (4) The revolutionary courts, created by Iran's former 
     Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, within Iran's judiciary, 
     are chiefly responsible

[[Page H4243]]

     for hearing cases of political offenses, operate in parallel 
     to Iran's criminal justice system and routinely hold grossly 
     unfair trials without due process, handing down predetermined 
     verdicts and rubberstamping executions for political purpose.
       (5) The Iranian security and law enforcement forces engage 
     in serious human rights abuse at the behest of the Supreme 
     Leader.
       (6) Iran's President, Ebrahim Raisi, sits at the helm of 
     the most sanctioned cabinet in Iranian history which includes 
     internationally sanctioned rights violators. Raisi has 
     supported the recent crackdown on protestors and is a rights 
     violator himself, having served on a ``death commission'' in 
     1988 that led to the execution of several thousand political 
     prisoners in Iran. He most recently served as the head of 
     Iran's judiciary, a position appointed by Iran's current 
     Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and may likely be a potential 
     candidate to replace Khamenei as Iran's next Supreme Leader.
       (7) On September 16, 2022, a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa 
     Amini, died in the detention of the Morality Police after 
     being beaten and detained for allegedly transgressing 
     discriminatory dress codes for women. This tragic incident 
     triggered widespread, pro-women's rights, pro-democracy 
     protests across all of Iran's 31 provinces, calling for the 
     end to Iran's theocratic regime.
       (8) In the course of the protests, the Iranian security 
     forces' violent crackdown includes mass arrests, well 
     documented beating of protestors, throttling of the internet 
     and telecommunications services, and shooting protestors with 
     live ammunition. Iranian security forces have reportedly 
     killed hundreds of protestors and other civilians, including 
     women and children, and wounded many more.
       (9) Iran's Supreme Leader is the leader of the ``Axis of 
     Resistance'', which is a network of Tehran's terror proxy and 
     partner militias materially supported by the Islamic 
     Revolutionary Guard Corps that targets the United States as 
     well as its allies and partners.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the United States shall stand with and support the 
     people of Iran in their demand for fundamental human rights;
       (2) the United States shall continue to hold the Islamic 
     Republic of Iran, particularly the Supreme Leader and 
     President, accountable for abuses of human rights, 
     corruption, and export of terrorism; and
       (3) Iran must immediately end its gross violations of 
     internationally recognized human rights.
       (c) In General.--
       (1) Determination and report required.--Not later than 90 
     days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
     annually thereafter, the President shall--
       (A) determine whether each foreign person described in 
     subsection (d) meets the criteria for imposition of sanctions 
     under one or more of the sanctions programs and authorities 
     listed in paragraph (2);
       (B) impose applicable sanctions against any foreign person 
     determined to meet the criteria for imposition of sanctions 
     pursuant to subparagraph (A) under the sanctions programs and 
     authorities listed in subparagraph (A) or (F) of subsection 
     (c)(2) and pursue applicable sanctions against any foreign 
     person determined to meet the criteria for imposition of 
     sanctions pursuant to subparagraph (A) under the sanctions 
     programs and authorities listed in subparagraph (B), (C), 
     (D), or (E) of subsection (c)(2); and
       (C) submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
     report in unclassified form, with a classified annex provided 
     separately if needed, containing--
       (i) a list of all foreign persons described in subsection 
     (d) that meet the criteria for imposition of sanctions under 
     one or more of the sanctions programs and authorities listed 
     in paragraph (2); and
       (ii) for each foreign person identified pursuant to clause 
     (i)--

       (I) a list of each sanctions program or authority listed in 
     paragraph (2) for which the person meets the criteria for 
     imposition of sanctions;
       (II) a statement which, if any, of the sanctions authorized 
     by any of the sanctions programs and authorities identified 
     pursuant to subclause (I) have been imposed or will be 
     imposed within 30 days of the submission of the report; and
       (III) with respect to which any of the sanctions authorized 
     by any of the sanctions programs and authorities identified 
     pursuant to subclause (I) have not been imposed and will not 
     be imposed within 30 days of the submission of the report, 
     the specific authority under which otherwise applicable 
     sanctions are being waived, have otherwise been determined 
     not to apply, or are not being imposed and a complete 
     justification of the decision to waive or otherwise not apply 
     the sanctions authorized by such sanctions programs and 
     authorities.

       (2) Sanctions listed.--The sanctions listed in this 
     paragraph are the following:
       (A) Sanctions described in section 105(c) of the 
     Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment 
     Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8514(c)).
       (B) Sanctions applicable with respect to a person pursuant 
     to Executive Order 13553 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to 
     blocking property of certain persons with respect to serious 
     human rights abuses by the Government of Iran).
       (C) Sanctions applicable with respect to a person pursuant 
     to Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to 
     blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons 
     who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism).
       (D) Sanctions applicable with respect to a person pursuant 
     to Executive Order 13818 (relating to blocking the property 
     of persons involved in serious human rights abuse or 
     corruption).
       (E) Sanctions applicable with respect to a person pursuant 
     to Executive Order 13876 (relating to imposing sanctions with 
     respect to Iran).
       (F) Penalties and visa bans applicable with respect to a 
     person pursuant to section 7031(c) of the Department of 
     State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs 
     Appropriations Act, 2021.
       (3) Form of determination.--The determination required by 
     paragraph (1) shall be provided in an unclassified form but 
     may contain a classified annex provided separately containing 
     additional contextual information pertaining to justification 
     for the issuance of any waiver issued, as described in 
     paragraph (1)(C)(ii). The unclassified portion of such 
     determination shall be made available on a publicly available 
     internet website of the Federal Government.
       (d) Foreign Persons Described.--The foreign persons 
     described in this subsection are the following:
       (1) The Supreme Leader of Iran and any official in the 
     Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran.
       (2) The President of Iran and any official in the Office of 
     the President of Iran or the President's cabinet, including 
     cabinet ministers and executive vice presidents.
       (3) Any entity, including foundations and economic 
     conglomerates, overseen by the Office of the Supreme Leader 
     of Iran which is complicit in financing or resourcing of 
     human rights abuses or support for terrorism.
       (4) Any official of any entity owned or controlled by the 
     Supreme Leader of Iran or the Office of the Supreme Leader of 
     Iran.
       (5) Any person determined by the President--
       (A) to be a person appointed by the Supreme Leader of Iran, 
     the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran, the President of 
     Iran, or the Office of the President of Iran to a position as 
     a state official of Iran, or as the head of any entity 
     located in Iran or any entity located outside of Iran that is 
     owned or controlled by one or more entities in Iran;
       (B) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided 
     financial, material, or technological support for, or goods 
     or services to or in support of any person whose property and 
     interests in property are blocked pursuant to any sanctions 
     program or authority listed in subsection (c)(2);
       (C) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or 
     purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly 
     any person whose property and interests in property are 
     blocked pursuant to any sanctions program or authority listed 
     in subsection (c)(2); or
       (D) to be a member of the board of directors or a senior 
     executive officer of any person whose property and interests 
     in property are blocked pursuant to any sanctions program or 
     authority listed in subsection (c)(2).
       (e) Congressional Oversight.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after receiving a 
     request from the chairman and ranking member of one of the 
     appropriate congressional committees with respect to whether 
     a foreign person meets the criteria of a person described in 
     subsection (d)(5), the President shall--
       (A) determine if the person meets such criteria; and
       (B) submit an unclassified report, with a classified annex 
     provided separately if needed, to such chairman and ranking 
     member with respect to such determination that includes a 
     statement of whether or not the President imposed or intends 
     to impose sanctions with respect to the person pursuant to 
     any sanctions program or authority listed in subsection 
     (c)(2).
       (2) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this 
     subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

     SEC. 3. SEVERABILITY.

       If any provision of this Act, or the application of such 
     provision to any person or circumstance, is found to be 
     unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act, or the 
     application of that provision to other persons or 
     circumstances, shall not be affected.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. McCaul) and the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we all know that Iran has committed brutal human rights 
violations. This regime silences dissent and suppresses the truth, and 
those who dare speak out face severe consequences, including death.
  Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was murdered by the 
Iranian regime, the so-called morality police, while in police custody. 
Iran's morality police had detained her for a false crime unthinkable 
to most of us here in this Chamber.
  What was the crime?
  It was failing to properly cover her hair.

[[Page H4244]]

  The people of Iran were outraged by her brutal murder and by the 
range of injustices that the Ayatollah subjects Iranians to day in and 
day out. This outrage led the great people of Iran to rise up in 
peaceful protest, demanding change.
  Sadly, but not surprisingly, the regime responded with a violent 
crackdown against the protesters. They detained tens of thousands of 
their own citizens and killed hundreds more. The regime choked off 
access to the outside world by blocking the internet. Disturbingly, 
violence and isolation are how they deny their own people their freedom 
and their voice.
  The international community has failed the people of Iran by failing 
to compel their oppressors to stop this abuse. We have many sanctions 
laws designed to address the Iranian regime's human rights violations. 
However, it is clear that many officials and institutions in Iran have 
not yet been sanctioned for their role in these abuses. That is why it 
is so important that we pass this bipartisan bill that was authored and 
introduced by Representative Banks from Indiana.
  We must require the President to formally determine whether specific 
high-ranking regime officials and institutions meet the criteria for 
imposition of our sanctions and then act based on those determinations.
  The Biden administration has its own political agenda when it comes 
to Iran. This administration wants to broker a bad nuclear agreement 
with Iran and has made it clear that it is willing to sacrifice 
leverage in the form of sanctions enforcement to do so.
  My longstanding concerns only grew when we learned that the 
administration's chief negotiator, Rob Malley, was being investigated 
for problems with his security clearance. This administration must be 
transparent about these allegations and how they have impacted the last 
2 years of Iran's policy.
  To the administration, I say this: We must not sell out the Iranian 
people to reach a bad nuclear deal with Iran.
  A nuclear Iran is simply not acceptable. We must fully enforce the 
laws on the books that we have in order to stop the grotesque human 
rights violations taking place in Iran.
  That is why as we approach the 1-year anniversary of Mahsa Amini's 
tragic death--it is so fitting that we do it here in this Chamber this 
week--Congress must show the world that we have not forgotten Mahsa or 
the millions of Iranians who have experienced violence, oppression, and 
even death at the hands of the regime.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge unanimous support for this measure, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Ways and Means,

                                    Washington, DC, June 22, 2023.
     Hon. Michael McCaul,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McCaul, I am writing with respect to H.R. 
     589, the ``Mahsa Amini Human rights and Security 
     Accountability Act.'' As a result of your having consulted 
     with us on provisions on which the Committee on Ways and 
     Means has a jurisdictional interest, I will not request a 
     sequential referral on this measure.
       The Committee on Ways and Means takes this action with the 
     mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction 
     over the subject matter contained in this or similar 
     legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately 
     consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation 
     moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues 
     that fall within our jurisdiction. The Committee also 
     reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate 
     number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving 
     this or similar legislation, and requests your support for 
     such request.
       Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter 
     confirming this understanding and would ask that a copy of 
     our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the 
     Congressional Record during floor consideration of H.R. 589.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Jason Smith,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                    Washington, DC, June 15, 2023.
     Hon. Jason Smith,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Smith: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from 
     further consideration of H.R. 589, the Mahsa Amini Human 
     Rights and Security Accountability Act, so that the measure 
     may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
       I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure 
     does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of 
     your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives 
     on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I would 
     support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate 
     number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate 
     conference on this legislation.
       I will seek to place our letters on this bill into the 
     Congressional Record during floor consideration. I appreciate 
     your cooperation regarding his legislation and look forward 
     to continuing to work together as this measure moves through 
     the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                Michael T. McCaul,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                    Washington, DC, June 15, 2023.
     Hon. Michael McCaul,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McCaul, I write regarding H.R. 589, the Mahsa 
     Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability Act. 
     Provisions of this bill fall within the Judiciary Committee's 
     Rule X jurisdiction, and I appreciate that you consulted with 
     us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee agrees that 
     it shall be discharged from further consideration of the bill 
     so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
       The Committee takes this action with the understanding that 
     forgoing further consideration of this measure does not in 
     any way alter the Committee's jurisdiction or waive any 
     future jurisdictional claim over these provisions or their 
     subject matter. We also reserve the right to seek appointment 
     of an appropriate number of conferees in the event of a 
     conference with the Senate involving this measure or similar 
     legislation.
       I ask that you please include this letter in your 
     committee's report to accompany this legislation or insert 
     this letter in the Congressional Record during consideration 
     of H.R. 589 on the House floor. I appreciate the cooperative 
     manner in which our committees have worked on this matter, 
     and I look forward to working collaboratively in the future 
     on matters of shared jurisdiction. Thank you for your 
     attention to this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Jim Jordan,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                    Washington, DC, June 15, 2023.
     Hon. Jim Jordan,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Jordan: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from 
     further consideration of H.R. 589, the Mahsa Amini Human 
     Rights and Security Accountability Act, so that the measure 
     may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
       I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure 
     does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of 
     your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives 
     on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I would 
     support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate 
     number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate 
     conference on this legislation.
       I will seek to place our letters on this bill into the 
     Congressional Record during floor consideration. I appreciate 
     your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward 
     to continuing to work together as this measure moves through 
     the legislative process.
                                                Michael T. McCaul,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                              Committee on Financial Services,

                                     Washington, DC, May 31, 2023.
     Hon. Michael McCaul,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McCaul: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Committee on Financial Services regarding H.R. 589, the Mahsa 
     Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability Act. I agree 
     that the Committee shall be discharged from further 
     consideration of the bill so that it may proceed 
     expeditiously to the House Floor. The Committee takes this 
     action with the mutual understanding that, by foregoing 
     consideration of H.R. 589 at this time, we do not waive any 
     jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or 
     similar legislation, and that the Committee will be 
     appropriately consulted and involved on this or similar 
     legislation as it moves forward. The Committee also reserves 
     the right to see appointment of an appropriate number of 
     conferees to any conference with the Senate involving this or 
     similar legislation, and we request your support for any such 
     request.
       Finally, as you mentioned in your letter, I ask that a copy 
     of our exchange of letters on this bill be included in your 
     Committee's report to accompany the legislation, as well as 
     in the Congressional Record during floor consideration.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Patrick McHenry,
                                                         Chairman.

[[Page H4245]]

     
                                  ____
                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                 Washington, DC. February 9, 2023.
     Hon. Patrick McHenry,
     Chairman, Committee on Financial Services,
     Washington, DC.
     Dear Chairman McHenry: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from 
     further consideration of H.R. 589, the Mahsa Amini Human 
     Rights and Security Accountability Act, so that the measure 
     may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
       I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure 
     does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of 
     your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives 
     on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I would 
     support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate 
     number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate 
     conference on this legislation.
       I will place our letters on H.R. 589 into our committee 
     report on this bill. I appreciate your cooperation regarding 
     this legislation and look forward to continuing to work 
     together as this measure moves through the legislative 
     process.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Michael T. McCaul
                                                         Chairman.

  Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no debate in Congress about the nature of the 
Iranian Government. The Supreme Leader of Iran murders, tortures, and 
abuses his own people. He denies Iranian citizens freedom and 
democracy. He guides proxy forces meant to destabilize numerous 
regional countries. He has threatened to wipe Israel off the map, and 
he is developing a nuclear program that has stockpiled enough highly 
enriched uranium for several nuclear warheads. I believe there must be 
costs associated with this behavior, and the United States is 
delivering those costs.
  The Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability Act, or the 
MAHSA Act, is a bill that would require the President of the United 
States to determine whether high-ranking officials of the Islamic 
Republic regime in Iran should be listed under existing U.S. sanctions 
for human rights abuses and support of terrorism. If an Iranian person 
or entity is found to meet these criteria, the legislation strongly 
encourages the executive branch to sanction that person or entity to 
the fullest extent of the law.
  Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats understand the despicable nature 
of Iran's Supreme Leader and his regime and the need to hold them 
accountable. The Supreme Leader is currently sanctioned under executive 
order 13876 which blocks the property of the Supreme Leader and his 
office, as well as persons determined to have provided material support 
to the Supreme Leader or his office.
  As of April 20, 2023, 112 persons have been designated for sanctions 
pursuant to this order--75 entities, 36 individuals, and one vessel.
  Some of these designations were made by the Trump administration, and 
some have been made by the Biden administration. The Supreme Leader is 
fully cut off from the American financial system and is not allowed to 
travel to the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, it is worth noting that other prominent Iranian leaders 
currently under strict American sanctions include President Raisi, two 
of Iran's vice presidents, and seven cabinet ministers, including the 
Ministers of Communication, Culture, Defense, Intelligence, Interior, 
and Petroleum. Companies and subsidiaries tied to the Supreme Leader in 
the sectors of energy, textiles, mining, chemicals, and financial 
services are all under strict sanctions.
  Let me be clear: there are more sanctions on the Supreme Leader and 
his cronies today than there were 1\1/2\ years ago. Applying maximum 
pressure on the Supreme Leader is an entirely bipartisan priority. We 
must always do more. Enforcement can be tighter. Legislation with 
transparency mechanisms such as the MAHSA Act provide value to the 
Congress and our Iran policy oversight efforts.
  During committee consideration of the MAHSA Act, I voted to move the 
bill to the floor despite having reservations that the text as 
currently drafted could damage national security waivers found in the 
underlying statute. Though the bill improved throughout the 
negotiations process with the majority, an amendment was offered, which 
was adopted over the committee Democrats' objections, that undermines 
some of the progress we achieved before markup.
  During a future conference process with the Senate, we want to assure 
this legislative text will not harm any President's ability to adjust 
any potential national security event vis-a-vis Iran, including 
addressing the nuclear issue. We also hope to streamline the reporting 
requirements to make them feasible for OFAC and the Treasury Department 
to deliver to Congress.
  We look forward to continuing to work in a bipartisan manner on 
crafting a final bill that continues to put pressure on the Supreme 
Leader of Iran and those who support his nefarious efforts. In the 
meantime, I will vote to advance the current draft from the House in 
order to prepare for negotiations with the Senate.
  Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting 
this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Banks), who is the author of this bill.
  Mr. BANKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding, and I 
thank him for his leadership on this issue and so many other issues 
related to our foreign policy and national security.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to speak today in support of the passage of 
my bill, the MAHSA Act. As the chairman said, this bill is named in 
honor of Mahsa Amini, a young woman in Iran who was killed by the 
Iranian regime nearly almost exactly 1 year ago this week.
  Mahsa died after being snatched off the street and brutally beaten by 
a patrol of the regime's so-called morality police all because she was 
not wearing her headscarf correctly in public.
  Mahsa's murder triggered months of the largest prodemocracy and anti-
regime protests in Iran since the 1979 revolution. Iranians called for 
freedom and chanted ``death to the dictator.'' Iranian women cast off 
their hijabs and burnt them in protest. They shook the regime to its 
core and showed the world that the Iranian people despise the Iranian 
regime. They will no longer tolerate its human rights abuses, 
corruption, and squandering of their wealth on terrorism.
  Nevertheless, the Biden administration refused to take real action in 
support of the protesters last year and has been looking the other way 
ever since.
  This administration is too afraid to jeopardize their dream of a new 
nuclear deal with Iran, so it is up to Congress to act instead. That is 
what we are doing here today.
  The MAHSA Act will hold the most malicious elements of Iran's regime 
accountable while avoiding collateral damage on ordinary Iranians. My 
bill will require the administration to actually enforce sanctions on 
the books and to go after Mahsa's killers and funders of terrorism, 
including the Supreme Leader of Iran and senior regime officials and 
their money laundering organizations.
  I thank all of those from both parties who made this bipartisan 
legislation possible and to become a reality today. More importantly, I 
thank all those Iranian-American groups here at home who showed their 
Representatives how important it is to stand in support of the Iranian 
people and to finally take action to hold this brutal regime 
accountable.
  I call upon the Senate to immediately take up and pass the MAHSA Act, 
and I call upon President Biden to stop dragging his feet, listen to 
the Iranian people, and confront the Iranian regime once and for all.
  Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, it has been 1 year since the death of a 
young woman, Mahsa Amini, in Iran, and it has been 1 year during which 
revulsion to repression has given birth to so many courageous Iranians 
expressing their defiance of arbitrary restrictions on their freedom.
  Nevertheless, it has also been another year of torture and murder at 
the hands of a fanatical tyranny. With approval of this legislation 
named for Mahsa, we say to Iranians: ``Your voices are heard, your 
voices are important, and you are not forgotten.''
  While the type of military action against Iran urged by fanatics 
outside

[[Page H4246]]

of Iran would be disastrous and counterproductive, through this act we 
seek to use all other available means to hold accountable the cruel 
repressors in Tehran.
  Those of us who are progressives, opposing any war against Iran, are 
equally opposed to the Iran war that the government is currently 
carrying out against its own children. We share the battle cry of 
peaceful Iranian protesters: Woman, life, freedom.
  This bill has little to do with the Iran nuclear agreement, which was 
wisely negotiated by President Obama's administration and our European 
allies. The world is less safe today not because of that agreement but 
because of President Trump's unilateral cancellation of the agreement 
presenting us today with an Iran that is nearer the development of a 
nuclear weapon than it was prior to the agreement.
  We need to be seeking to do everything we can to prevent Iran from 
acquiring a nuclear weapon short of war; but our desire for a safer 
world should not impair our willingness to do more to make Iran safer 
for its own citizens.
  As Amnesty International reported just this past month, Iranian 
authorities have been subjecting victims' families to arbitrary arrest 
and detention, imposing restrictions on peaceful gatherings at 
gravesites, and even destroying victims' grave markers, and now within 
the last few days, detaining Mahsa's uncle so that he cannot speak out 
this Saturday on the anniversary of her murder.
  Already this year, the Iranian Government has executed 320 people, 
doubling the rate prior to Mahsa's death, and giving Iran the wretched 
distinction of the highest number of executions per capita in the 
entire world.
  Building upon current, existing executive orders, this bill proposes 
to codify existing sanctions targeting those at the top of the Iranian 
regime for their human rights abuses and for this egregious action over 
the last year.
  Nevertheless, the attacks on President Biden really are misplaced if 
this is to be a truly bipartisan initiative. I believe that passage of 
the MAHSA Act sends a message to Iranians not about this 
administration, but of the fact that we, the elected Members of the 
people of the United States, oppose these abuses.

                              {time}  1630

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 
seconds to the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, passage of this act is not about what this 
administration has or has not done, but that it reflects the broad 
determination of this body, the Congress, the Representatives of the 
people of the United States, to speak out against a brutal theocracy. 
We stand with Iranians who seek a brighter future where the rule of law 
and freedom are respected, and hopefully one day there will be an end 
to the terrible division between our two countries.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I am 
prepared to close.
  Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume for the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, I will vote in support of this measure as it is crucial 
that we continue to pressure the Supreme Leader of Iran and his cronies 
and enablers, but I look forward to further refining the text with our 
Senate colleagues to make this the best bill possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I also note that I join Chairman McCaul and 
Representative Doggett in acknowledging that it has been nearly 1 year 
since the tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. We will always 
remember her global impact not just for the girls and women of Iran, 
but for girls and women all over the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Ranking Member Meeks, 
Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, and Congressman Lloyd Doggett for their 
work on this bill. I also thank Representative Banks for leading this 
important bipartisan measure to ensure the United States upholds its 
moral responsibility as a beacon of freedom in human rights.
  This bill does not create any new sanctions programs. The tools we 
are discussing here today already exist. We are simply asking the 
administration to enforce them. We must do everything we can to stand 
with the people of Iran and prevent more violence and suffering.
  I feel for Mahsa's family, seeing her being beaten, tortured, and put 
to death for the so-called crime of merely not wearing her hijab 
correctly is really unfathomable to Americans and our way of life in a 
free society, and it cannot stand.
  I look forward to a day when the Ayatollah is out of power and the 
people of Iran can be free to express themselves without this kind of 
oppression and tyranny. I know it will happen one day, and I hope it 
happens in my lifetime.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I will vote for this legislation to 
stand with those advocating for human rights in Iran however I have 
concerns that the legislation could prohibit the President's ability to 
adjust sanctions as national security conditions warrant. I am hopeful 
this is the last time that Congress puts forward a sanctions bill 
without a clear mechanism to remove them as needed.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on H.R. 589, the 
Mahsa Amini Human Rights Security Accountability (MAHSA) Act.
  This bill would require the President of the United States to impose 
property- and visa- blocking sanctions on certain individuals and 
entities affiliated with Iran.
  Additionally, this bill would impose requirements that the President 
periodically make determinations about whether certain existing 
sanctions apply to specified persons and impose the applicable 
sanctions, including determinations concerning:
  (1) the Supreme Leader of Iran and any official in the Office of the 
Supreme Leader of Iran;
  (2) the President of Iran and any official in the Office of the 
President of Iran; and
  (3) any entity overseen by the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran 
which is complicit in supporting human rights abuses or terrorism.
  Iran currently faces widespread unrest because of various human 
rights violations.
  In 2022, security forces killed more than 500 persons, including at 
least 69 children, and arrested more than 19,000 protesters, including 
children, according to the nongovernmental organization Human Rights 
Activists News Agency.
  Some of those arrested faced the death penalty, including children.
  The government also routinely disrupted access to the internet and 
communications applications to prevent the free flow of information and 
to attempt to interrupt or diminish participation in protests.
  Although the human rights violations in Iran are unacceptable and 
certainly condemnable and actionable in response, to address this 
matter in the manner set forth by this bill is concerning.
  First, this bill and its text targets the Iran government itself, not 
individuals in the government.
  Because of this, this bill would essentially remain in effect 
indefinitely, regardless of a change in leadership and political or 
social agenda.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  September 12, 2023, on page H4246, in the third column, the 
following appeared: Because of this, this bill would essentially 
remain in effect indefinitely, regardless of a change in 
leadership and political or social agenda. In addition, this bill 
is supported by 3 organizations that have previously advocated for 
military action against Iran (the American Israel Public Affairs 
Committee, United Against a Nuclear Iran, and National Union for 
Democracy in Iran). Although these organizations might support 
this bill with positive intentions, their methods of seeking 
change might not be the answer if it includes violence. Iran and 
its people deserve peace, not additional hardships.
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: Because of this, 
this bill would essentially remain in effect indefinitely, 
regardless of a change in leadership and political or social 
agenda. Iran and its people deserve peace, not additional 
hardships.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  Iran and its people deserve peace, not additional hardships.
  Instead of implementing this act, Congress should investigate the 
sanctions that are already in place on the Iranian leadership and could 
consider amending those sanctions.
  This bill has been built on positive intentions that seek to solve an 
important and pressing issue.
  However, I think it would benefit us to reexamine already existing 
sanctions on Iranian leadership.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 589, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.

[[Page H4247]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________