{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-leads-colleagues-in-bill-to-freeze-6-billion-to-iran-probe-additional-iranian-assets/", "Scott Leads Colleagues in Bill to Freeze $6 Billion to Iran, Probe Additional Iranian Assets", "2023-10-17", "2023", "2023-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Tim Scott", "S001184", "www.scott.senate.gov", "timscott", "https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/jsf/jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, along with Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), JD Vance (R-Ohio), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), today introduced the Revoke Iranian Funding Act to rescind the general licenses that enabled the release of the $6 billion to Iran and prevent the Iranian regime from accessing and using the funds held in Qatar to finance terrorist attacks against Israel or any other nation. In addition, the bill directs the Treasury Secretary to study all high-value Iranian assets around the world that are currently blocked by U.S. sanctions and provide that information to Congress, ensuring Congress has the information necessary to enact further targeted legislation, if necessary.\n\n\u201cThe Biden administration\u2019s decision to release $6 billion to Iran \u2013 the world\u2019s leading state sponsor of terror \u2013 was a grave mistake that created a market for American hostages, emboldened our adversaries, and put a credit on the balance sheets of one of Hamas\u2019s biggest backers,\u201d said Ranking Member Tim Scott. \u201cIn the wake of Hamas\u2019s horrific attacks on Israel, it has only become clearer that this rogue regime cannot be trusted as long they continue to support terrorist organizations. My bill is a comprehensive approach to wielding our economic sanctions tools against Iran by freezing the $6 billion and ensuring Congress has the information necessary to prevent Iran from accessing funds in the future. We must be unequivocal that the United States will not back down and waive sanctions on frozen Iranian funds held by other nations.\u201d\n\nRead an overview of the bill here and a section-by-section here.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nRanking Member Scott\u2019s legislation continues his commitment to applying pressure on the Iranian regime and holding the Biden administration accountable through rigorous congressional oversight. On August 18, Ranking Member Scott demanded answers from the Biden administration after it announced the release of $6 billion to Iran. In the letter, the Ranking Member and his colleagues warned that the funds would \u201cenable the Iranian regime to increase its destabilizing activities\u201d and would \u201cserve to encourage additional hostage taking for financial or political gain.\u201d\n\nOn October 10, Ranking Member Scott released a statement calling for the Banking Committee to hold a hearing with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on the Biden administration\u2019s release of $6 billion to Iran and urged a Senate investigation into the matter.\n\nEarlier this year, Ranking Member Scott introduced the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act to cement the Iran Sanctions Act. The Iran Sanctions Act imposes sanctions that restrict funding for Iran\u2019s energy sector, curtailing the regime\u2019s ability to finance terrorism and develop its nuclear program. Ranking Member Scott\u2019s bill removes the expiration date of these sanctions and makes them permanent \u2013 demonstrating America\u2019s unwavering commitment to forcefully answering Iran\u2019s destabilizing actions.\n\nIn addition to serving as the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Senator Scott serves as a senior member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which has jurisdiction over the State Department.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:43:12Z"]], "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.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-leads-colleagues-in-bill-to-freeze-6-billion-to-iran-probe-additional-iranian-assets/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.728837912902236, "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"}