After more than 7 months of approval in the House of Representatives, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced it will discuss the Mahsa Amini Human rights and Security Accountability Act (MAHSA Act) on April 16.
The bipartisan legislation passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming majority in September 2023, but has not yet been moved forward for a vote in the Senate.
It is named after the 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian girl whose death in police custody in September 2022 sparked country-wide protests, challenging the Iranian regime like never before.
Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ben Cardin decided to put the bill on the agenda after previously holding back.
This move was welcomed by supporters of the bill, like Republican Representative Jim Banks, who urged for its vote to honor Amini’s memory and hold Iran accountable for human rights abuses.
Banks urged Chuck Schumer, the current Senate majority leader, to put the bill to vote in the Senate.
In a post on “X,” he highlighted two main points: the sanctions mentioned in the legislation and the upcoming steps and challenges.
The MAHSA Act, passed overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives with 410 votes, urges the US government to impose sanctions on top Iranian figures, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi, for human rights violations and supporting terrorism.
The bill requires the Biden administration to impose these sanctions within 90 days and freeze the assets of Iranian officials involved in human rights abuses.
Republican House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul criticized the Biden administration for not applying existing sanction laws against Iranian officials despite their roles in human rights violations.
He also accused the administration of pursuing a political agenda in dealing with Iran, cautioning against sacrificing the Iranian people’s interests for a flawed nuclear deal.
These criticisms have raised doubts about the Biden administration’s willingness to sign such legislation.
Banks urged Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to put the bill to a vote in the Senate.
While its discussion in the committee is important for party unity, it doesn’t guarantee a vote. The final decision rests with Schumer, who hasn’t revealed his stance yet.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee may propose amendments during the expected debate on the bill. This means the final version will differ from the House's.
Hence, the House will need to vote again to align the text before sending it to the White House for the President’s signature.
Additionally, the committee will discuss two more bills to impose extra sanctions on Iran: one targeting the oil sector and the other aimed at the drone and missile program and its exporters.
