PAAIA Applauds Passage of MAHSA Act by House Foreign Affairs Committee
Washington, DC — This morning, the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) passed the MAHSA Act (H.R.589) in their markup session! PAAIA applauds this new development and urges House Leadership to bring the MAHSA Act to the House floor for a vote in the coming weeks.
The language being debated in the markup was slightly different from the original bill due to changes made by Chairman McCaul, but an amendment introduced by Rep. Cory Mills restored the original intent of the bill. The legislation passed the committee with Rep. Mills’ amendment supported by the Chairman and along party lines. However, both parties agreed to continue negotiations to ensure the bill’s language meets constitutional standards.
The next step is to bring the bill to the floor for a vote by the full House of Representatives. If passed in both chambers, this legislation would require the executive branch to determine sanctions against the Supreme Leader of Iran, the President of Iran, their entities and offices, and their inner circle under existing executive orders 13876, 13553, 13818, and 13224 as well as impose visa and property bans pursuant to section 7021(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2021. At a time when the Iranian people are fighting for their freedoms in the face of government oppression, it is bills like this that take real action to help them achieve their democratic aspirations.
PAAIA has been working with members of Congress to secure support for the MAHSA Act since it was reintroduced, and we’ve also spoken directly with House Leadership about bringing the legislation to the floor for a vote. Before today’s markup session, we sent a statement to the Committee Chairman and Ranking Member spelling out PAAIA’s support for this legislation and the Iranian American community’s endorsement of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
Additionally, thousands of members of the Iranian American community have reached out to their representatives using our action alert and similar action centers from other organizations. Today’s markup session is a welcome reminder that our tireless efforts have not been in vain. When we come together as a community, we can influence policy and make our voices heard.
However, our work is not over! We must continue to push legislators to cosponsor this crucial legislation and ensure its passage in the House of Representatives. Reach out to your elected officials today and ask them to support the MAHSA Act!
