Approval of the "Mahsa Act" in the US Senate
The US Senate passed the "Mahsa Act" and the "Shipping Act" yesterday evening.
The United States Senate passed the security aid package, including the "Mahsa Act" and the "Shipping Act," on Tuesday evening, April 23. Following this, US President Joe Biden is scheduled to sign the package into law on Wednesday, April 24.
The package includes $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, and includes the Mahsa Act and the Shipping Act. The package passed the Senate by a vote of 79-18. The package also states that TikTok will be banned in the United States if it does not immediately cut ties with China.
Republican Representative Jim Banks introduced the bill to the House in support of the 1401 AH protests, and the House passed it by a vote of 410 to 3 on September 12, 2023, on the eve of the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death. The bill is set to become law upon the signature of US President Joe Biden.
The bill requires the US President to impose sanctions, including “visa denials” and “asset freezes on certain individuals and entities affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran” that knowingly engage in the transportation, processing, refining, or trading of petroleum and petroleum products, including petrochemical products. Under the bill, the President is required to periodically determine whether these sanctions apply to Ali Khamenei and any other official in his household, the President of Iran and any other official in his office, and any entity under the supervision of the Supreme Leader that supports terrorism or human rights abuses.
After the bill passed the House, Joe Biden called the measure a "critical milestone in strengthening America's national security" and said in a message: "I will sign this bill into law as soon as it reaches my desk. This law will enable us to send weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week. This need is essential for Ukraine, which is facing relentless Russian bombing, for Israel, which has recently endured unprecedented attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran, for refugees and those whose lives have been affected by conflict and natural disasters around the world, including the people of Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti, and for our partners who seek security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region."
