Solidify Iran Sanctions Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1800) to repeal the sunset provision of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1800

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Solidify Iran Sanctions Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) The Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note) requires the imposition of sanctions with respect to Iran's illicit weapons programs, conventional weapons and ballistic missile development, and support for terrorism, including Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps.

(2) The Government of Iran has acquired destabilizing conventional weapons systems from the Russian Federation and other malign actors, and is funneling weapons and financial support to its terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East, threatening allies and partners of the United States, such as Israel. SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It is the policy of the United States to fully implement and enforce the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104- 172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note). SEC. 4. REPEAL OF SUNSET.

Section 13 of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note) is amended--

(1) in the section heading, by striking ``; sunset'';

(2) by striking ``(a) Effective Date.--''; and

(3) by striking subsection (b).

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1800, the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act of 2025.

The Iran Sanctions Act was enacted back in 1996. For 29 years, this law has acted as the cornerstone of U.S. efforts to address the Iran regime's malign influence. From its support to terrorist proxies to its dangerous nuclear program, the impact of the regime's provocative actions continues to be felt far and wide.

These sanctions are more important now than ever. As this administration pursues a last-ditch effort to address the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program diplomatically, these sanctions continue to provide much-needed leverage to address the full range of Iran's malign activity. They are a vital and necessary tool not only to deny Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon and to cut off its enrichment capabilities but also to counter Iran's malign influence abroad, including its ongoing support to terrorist proxies like the Houthis.

What we see across the region and beyond is that the threat Iran poses to the United States and our partners and allies is becoming more and more entrenched. We need a policy response that is durable and shows that we are committed, day in and day out, to choking off any financial support to Iran's malign activities.

That is why, today, the House is considering the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act, which would eliminate the upcoming 2026 sunset from the Iran Sanctions Act.

We need to send Iran a clear and simple message. They cannot wait out our sanctions. Our sanctions will not expire on some arbitrary date. The only way to make U.S. sanctions go away is to stop the sanctionable conduct and not threaten the United States' national security interests or our allies, period.

The fact that we are considering this bill under suspension of rules is hugely significant. It shows that eliminating this sunset is not a partisan issue. Republicans and Democrats agree that we need durable, long-lasting, and long-term pressure on Iran.

On October 7, the world witnessed the horror of Iran-backed terrorism as Hamas brutally murdered over 1,200 innocent people in Israel.

Iran has been sponsoring Hamas for years. They were sponsoring terrorists on the battlefield that I and many of our colleagues participated in, just as it has been sponsoring Hezbollah and the Houthis to attack Israel just over this past weekend, amassing ballistic missiles, building armed drones, and expanding its nuclear weapon program at an alarming rate.

The Iran threat is wide-ranging and multifaceted, and the Iran Sanctions Act is the foundation of our tools to combat this threat. We know this threat isn't going away anytime soon, so let's stop fooling ourselves that a sunset makes any sense on these provisions.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in bringing our statutes in line with the strategic reality on the ground.

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