Ft Wayne Times

On September 19, 2024, Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03) and a group of lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging his administration to enforce the Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability (MAHSA) and Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Acts. The MAHSA Act mandates the president to assess potential sanctions on Iran's Supreme Leader and other senior officials by July 23, 2024, followed by imposing these sanctions. The Biden administration missed this deadline.

Rep. Banks initially introduced the MAHSA Act during the 117th Congress after the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran’s “Morality Police.” Congress passed the bill in April 2024, compelling President Biden to sign it into law.

“We urge you to follow the law and promptly make sanctions determinations, impose appropriate sanctions, and report to Congress what determinations have been made and which sanctions have been imposed. No amount of appeasement to the Iranian regime will quell its unacceptable conduct. Only by exerting maximum pressure on members of the Iranian regime and connected individuals can we hope to stem this behavior,” stated Rep. Banks.

Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jim Risch (R-ID), along with U.S. Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY), also signed the letter.

The full text of their letter reads:

Dear Mr. President,

As key sponsors and supporters of the Mahsa Amini Human Rights and Security Accountability (MAHSA) and Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Acts, both signed into law as Public Law 118-50, we write to urge your administration to swiftly implement these provisions. The regime in Tehran has long used proceeds from its petroleum industry to fund repression of its people and terrorism against nations such as the United States, Israel, and other allies in the Middle East. We are concerned that your administration has not submitted its plan for implementing these sanctions by legally stipulated deadlines.

The MAHSA Act requires a determination by July 23, 2024, regarding whether Iran's Supreme Leader or President meets criteria for sanctions under various laws including Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. The SHIP Act mandates that by August 22, 2024, a strategy be developed by the U.S. Department of State to counter China’s evasion of U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil. To date, there is no indication that your administration has complied with these requirements.

We urge immediate action on your legal commitments while Iran’s violations continue unabatedly. Media reports in late August indicated that Iranian exports to China reached more than 1.75 million barrels per day—a six-year high—bringing in approximately $4 billion for Iran in August alone following Masoud Pezeshkian's election as President.

Moreover, as reported by your Department of Justice: “Iran utilizes proceeds from black-market oil sales for criminal activities including support for groups like Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hamas, Hizballah.” Recent acts such as Hamas’ execution of hostages and Hizballah’s rocket attacks highlight consequences stemming from unimpeded financing channels supporting terrorism linked back directly through non-enforcement actions taken so far.

We urge you again: follow through legally mandated actions promptly making sanction determinations reporting outcomes transparently before Congressional oversight ensuring adequate measures combatting those sustaining oppressive terroristic agendas threatening global security alike ours home front abroad too imminently necessitated responding accordingly now decisively importantly without delay remaining periods henceforth ongoing evermore critically imperative stance resolution aligned together unified fortitude standing justice defending freedoms everywhere collectively resolutely achieving peace safeguarding humanity universally common good ultimately shared aspirations upheld therein abiding respects truly sincerely,

Sincerely,