{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.budd.senate.gov/2025/08/01/senators-budd-kelly-introduce-seize-act-to-authorize-transfer-of-confiscated-iranian-weapons-to-u-s-partners/", "Senators Budd, Kelly Introduce SEIZE Act to Authorize Transfer of Confiscated Iranian Weapons to U.S. Partners", "2025-08-01", "2025", "2025-08", "Republican", "Senate", "NC", "Ted Budd", "B001305", "www.budd.senate.gov", "budd", "https://www.budd.senate.gov/category/news/press-releases/page/", "scraper", "SEIZE Act also introduced as a floor amendment to FY 2026 NDAA\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) introduced the bipartisan Seized Iranian Arms Transfer Authorization (SEIZE) Act to authorize the use of Presidential Drawdown Authority to transfer confiscated Iranian weapons seized in transit to terror proxies like the Houthi\u2019s in Yemen to U.S. partners for their use. The SEIZE Act would bypass a potentially year-long legal process for the distribution of captured Iranian weapons and equipment held by U.S. CENTCOM, allowing it to be sent directly to U.S. military partners around the globe.\n\n\u201cWhen the United States confiscates Iranian weapons, they not only ensure that Iran\u2019s terror proxies are denied equipment meant to harm American servicemembers and our partners, like Israel, but they also generate stockpiles that would be beneficial in the hands of U.S. allies,\u201d said Sen. Budd. \u201cThe SEIZE Act would make it easier to distribute confiscated weapons to partners actively engaged in conflict with America\u2019s adversaries, without an arbitrary and complicated legal process that leaves Iranian contraband in legal limbo. I am grateful to partner with Sen. Mark Kelly on this legislation which will provide the Department of Defense flexibility to get these weapons in the hands of partners who need them the most.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the United States intercepts weapons heading from Iran to the Houthi militia, we shouldn\u2019t let bureaucracy stop us from giving those weapons to our trusted allies,\u201d said Sen. Kelly. \u201cThis bipartisan bill cuts red tape and makes it easier to turn Iran\u2019s lawbreaking aggression into security for us and our allies.\u201d\n\nThe caches of Iranian weapons captured en route to Yemen can be substantial and would greatly benefit America\u2019s partners engaged in conflicts if delivered in a timely manner.\n\nAs an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigationsshowed, \u201cBetween May 2021 and January 2023, the U.S. Navy seized the weapons, which included more than 9,000 rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, more than 70 anti-tank guided missiles, and more than 700,000 rounds of ammunition, during routine maritime security operations conducted in and around the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.\u201d\n\nIn addition to introducing the SEIZE Act as a stand-alone piece of legislation, Sens. Budd and Kelly have offered the legislation for consideration as an amendment to the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).\n\nRead the full text of the SEIZE Act HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:02:47Z"]], "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://www.budd.senate.gov/2025/08/01/senators-budd-kelly-introduce-seize-act-to-authorize-transfer-of-confiscated-iranian-weapons-to-u-s-partners/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6811309140175581, "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"}