{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://joewilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/wilson-banks-and-hern-introduce-maximum-pressure-act", "Wilson, Banks, and Hern Introduce Maximum Pressure Act", "2023-10-31", "2023", "2023-10", "Republican", "House", "SC", "Joe Wilson", "W000795", "joewilson.house.gov", "joewilson", "https://joewilson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC), Republican Study Committee (RSC) National Security Task Force Chairman, Jim Banks (R-IN) and RSC Chairman Kevin Hern (R-OK) in introducing the Maximum Pressure Act with 85 original cosponsors. The legislation would codify the Trump administration\u2019s successful maximum pressure campaign on Iran into law. You can find the bill text here.\n\nThis bill was previously introduced alongside former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the beginning of the 117th Congress.\n\nThis legislation represents the toughest Iran sanctions package ever proposed by Congress. Sanctions in the bill would gut Iran\u2019s ability to fund terrorism throughout the region, sanction the Supreme Leader of Iran, and force the President to enforce sanctions on Iran\u2019s oil sales. Further provisions restrict the ability of the President to abuse waiver and license authorities to lift sanctions on Iran by placing sunsets on such authorities and empowering Congress to prevent the Biden administration from providing more money to Iran and from ever reentering the failed Obama-era nuclear deal.\n\n\u201cThe threat emanating from the Iranian regime has never been more dire as we have witnessed mass murder in Israel, including of Americans, by Iran\u2019s terrorist puppet Hamas and attacks on U.S. forces by other Iran terrorist proxies. This administration has utterly failed to enforce sanctions and this is the consequence. I am grateful for the leadership of the Republican Study Committee to apply maximum pressure on the murderous regime that seeks death and destruction around the world,\u201d said Rep. Joe Wilson.\n\n\u201cThe October 7th attack on Israel, just weeks after the Biden administration released $6 billion to the Iranian regime, was a tragic reminder that weakness begets war. This administration\u2019s failed strategy of appeasement has left the world a much more dangerous place than it was before Joe Biden took office. We must restore the policies of the Trump administration, which forged peace through strength, and this legislation is a major step in the right direction,\u201d said Rep. Jim Banks.\n\n\u201cTrump\u2019s Maximum Pressure campaign was effective. It held the Iranian regime and their proxies in check. Biden abandoned that campaign and we are seeing the results of that decision today with the attacks from Iran-backed Hamas on Israel and from Iranian militias in Syria and Iraq on US forces. The Maximum Pressure campaign is one of RSC\u2019s flagship foreign policy bills and would build on President Trump\u2019s policy by codifying it into law and strengthening it significantly. The bill has support both in Congress and in the broader conservative movement, and there is a strong consensus on Iran policy within the Republican conference. As RSC Chairman I look forward to strongly advocating that the bill be marked up immediately and passed on the floor,\u201d said Rep. Kevin Hern.\n\nThe Maximum Pressure Act includes the following provisions in response to Hamas\u2019s October 7th terrorist attack, Iranian aggression since Biden took office, and Iranian malign influence within the Biden administration:\n\nDeclares that Iran is responsible for the October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel and that the only suitable punishment for these attacks is a return to maximum pressure on Iran.\n\nTransfers Iran\u2019s $6B ransom payment to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.\n\nRemoves the limits on bounties for the capture of terrorist perpetrators of the October 7 massacre.\n\nExpands sanctions on Iran\u2019s ballistic missile program and sales to also include Iranian drones.\n\nRequires Treasury to blacklist all new banks in Iran not already sanctioned under E.O. 13902.\n\nRequires a report on Iranian intelligence and influence activities in the U.S., like the Iran Experts Initiative, and whether Iranian agents have been employed with the U.S. government.\n\nRequires a report on whether Iran sanctions relief has freed up resources for Iranian-backed terrorist groups and describing how much those groups have benefited from sanctions relief.\n\nOutside Group Support:\n\nThe Maximum Pressure Act is supported by FDD Action, Alliance Advancing Freedom (AAF), United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI), Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), Christians United For Israel (CUFI), Heritage Action, and Faith and Freedom Coalition.\n\nThe Islamic Republic of Iran has reaped billions of dollars in windfalls from unenforced oil sanctions and the use of waivers and licenses to provide Teheran access to previously frozen funds. Iran-backed atrocities domestically and abroad must be met with resolve. With the massacre of over 1400 Israelis on October 7th, it has become evident that a policy of appeasement towards Iran and its proxy Hamas has failed. The Maximum Pressure Act lays out the appropriate policy response toward Iran that comprehensively targets all aspects of the regime\u2019s economy, and that of its terrorist partners Hamas and Hizballah. FDD Action supports this important bill,\u201d said Foundation for Defense of Democracies Action.\n\n\u201cUANI Action supports the Maximum Pressure Act. Informal \u2018understandings\u2019 with Iran and tens of billions of dollars in sanctions relief through non-enforcement have only emboldened the Iranian regime. U.S. policy on Iran must revert to crippling sanctions and their full enforcement to deprive Tehran of funding for its conduct of terrorism; nuclear, drone, and missile programs; and human rights abuses,\u201d said United Against a Nuclear Iran Action.\n\n\u201cThe United States must return to maximum sanctions on the Iranian regime that were implemented during the Trump-Pence administration. President Biden\u2019s appeasement will not work with Iran, the maximum amount of pressure must be applied,\u201d said AAF Executive Director Paul Teller.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://joewilson.house.gov/media/press-releases/wilson-banks-and-hern-introduce-maximum-pressure-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.524731982499361, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}