Dear John,

We’ve got great news. All four of NIAC Action’s priority amendments have been added to the National Defense Authorization Act, which will soon pass the House of Representatives. They are:

• Reps. Chuy García (D-IL) and Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) amendment mandating a review of the humanitarian impacts of U.S. sanctions. Despite all of the sanctions on Iran and other countries, there is no such mandatory sanctions review required under law, which is doubly important amid the continuation of sanctions and evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Rep. Barbara Lee’s (D-CA) amendment repealing the 2002 authorization to use military force against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Trump twisted this authorization as justification for military aggression that nearly brought the U.S. into a full-blown war with Iran.

• Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and Brian Fitzpatrick’s (R-PA) amendment requiring the Biden administration to ensure that U.S. sanctions are not making it harder for ordinary Iranians to access the internet and freely communicate online. Existing general licensing is sorely out-of-date and, despite bipartisan support, Biden has yet to revise its sanctions licensing.

• Rep. Ro Khanna’s (D-CA) amendment requiring the administration to detail the costs and feasibility of a proposed new missile defense system for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Israel and other states. Hawks had hoped to push the weapons system forward without scrutiny, but Congress is now raising important questions about this new system that would double down on containment and confrontation of Iran.

NIAC Action staff and allied organizations worked closely with Congressional offices to ensure that these amendments were offered and incorporated into the bill, and NIAC Action members across the country contacted their legislators to ensure that they voted the right way.

But we are not done yet. 

The Senate will advance its own version of the bill before the House and Senate negotiate which amendments make it into the final bill that is passed into law. So stay tuned in the weeks ahead for important updates on how to reduce the harm of sanctions, repeal dangerous war authorizations and question the wisdom of flooding the region with new weapons systems.

Ryan Costello
Policy Director, NIAC ActionSupport Campaigns Like These

NIAC Action is dedicated to building political power for the Iranian-American community to advance peace & diplomacy, secure equitable immigration policies, and protect the civil rights of all Americans. NIAC, the 501(c)(3) sister organization of NIAC Action, is dedicated to educating & engaging the Iranian-American community in order to further advance these priorities.

Our mailing address is PO Box 65439, Washington, DC 20035

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