Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) On Thursday, March 9, 2023, several bipartisan members of the U.S. House of Representatives are set to present a resolution calling for a new approach to Iran policy. The resolution, which has already gained the support of a House majority within the first 50 days of the 118th Congress, is sponsored by key members of various committees, including Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Homeland Security, Appropriations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence.
The announcement comes amidst continued protests by the Iranian people and stepped-up repression by the regime. Additionally, the resolution offers a clear path for a new U.S. policy on Iran, coinciding with alarming concerns over the ongoing chemical attacks on schoolgirls across the country on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
Representative Tom McClintock (R-CA):
I’m very pleased to announce that House Resolution 100, which expresses Congress’s support for the right of the Iranian people to a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear Republic of Iran, is now co-sponsored by an absolute majority of the House of Representatives. 223 members of the 435-member House, Republican and Democrat alike, now stand side by side with the people of Iran who struggle to rid themselves of the theocratic thugs who have oppressed them for far too long.
The Iranian people have had enough of the human rights abuses, the utter incompetence of the mullahs, and the thuggery of their Iranian Guards. Increasingly, the women of Iran, whose rightful aspirations have been suppressed by the government, and the young people, whose futures have been stolen by that government, have stepped forward to lead the protests occurring regularly throughout the land.
And their messages are clear: We’ve had enough, and we will take no more. We don’t have to live under the thumb of dictators but can instead take our rightful place among the free people of the world and enjoy the human rights, human dignity, human liberties, and prosperity that is the hallmark of free societies.
These new leaders have endured torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and even death to secure their liberty, and their heroism and determination have captured the attention of the world and with it now the support of the majority of the elected representatives of the American people.
Once the dictators of Iran are thrown from power and justice for their crimes has been served, it will be up to the Iranian people to chart their future course. But that won’t be hard. The principles of the ten-point plan:
· The universal right to vote in free and fair elections.
· The right of every person to participate in a free market and to enjoy the prosperity that freedom guarantees.
· The right to be judged on their own merits regardless of gender, religion, or ethnicity.
· The right to return to the community of free and respected nations based on peaceful coexistence.
This is the future of Iran. Its course is already charted. The journey has already begun, and indeed, its shining destination can already be seen taking shape in the distance.
Representative Deborah Ross (D-NC):
I am a proud co-sponsor of this resolution. I’m also particularly happy to be with you so close to International Women’s Day. The women of Iran are a beacon and an inspiration to the world.
What Iranian women need is to feel safe and free in their own country as well. I am with you in solidarity and for the entire fight with my colleagues here in Congress.
Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC)
This morning you’re seeing us up here in a bipartisan way, our country, standing with those in Iran who want those same freedoms, who want those same liberties, who want the same kind of democracy. And we support a democratic process in Iran. We support your freedom. We support your fight. You’ve literally risked your lives for this freedom. And we stand with you.
Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA):
It is an important time in Iran as people from one end of the country to the other rise to demand their rights and demand a peaceful and democratic republic of Iran.
Some of you have been working for a democratic Iran since the 1970s. We have seen; however, women take the lead, and this is an appropriate day to recognize their role.
We have a resolution that I’m told now has 223 cosponsors. That’s a majority of the House.
The resolution recognizes Maryam Rajavi as one of the women who has been a leader in fighting for democracy in Iran. And it commemorates a whole new generation of women who are fighting the regime that has continued its violent attacks against protesters and anyone who dares to dissent, including the horrific killing of over 500 innocent protesters, many of whom were teenagers and even children.
Tens of thousands have been arrested and some sentenced to death. The regime’s legacy of murdering dissidents is nothing new. It has been used as a tactic for decades to stifle the Iranian people’s fight for freedom. This, of course, includes the brutal murders of thousands of dissidents during the 1988 massacre, perpetrated by regime officials now including President Raisi. It lashes out with violence because it doesn’t have an argument and doesn’t have a basis to acquire the people’s support.
Representative Don Bacon (R-NE)
I stand with the Iranian people. They and we want freedom, democracy, human rights, all the things that Madam Rajavi said. Those are the principles that America stands by, and it’s our hope that one day the Iranian people will also have that. We hope someday that you have a People’s House in Tehran
Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AL)
I was happy to lend my support to be a cosponsor of House Resolution 100 and simply expressing that the United States Congress goes on record saying that we support the people’s desire to be free in Iran, and not only to be free, but to be democratic, secular, non-nuclear, and to allow people of all faiths to practice their religion and faith as they see fit, and to make sure that they have the freedoms that that we can enjoy and take for granted so much in this country.
I know that Albania has been a great friend to those that want to see a new Iran. So, I just want to say thank you to the Albanian Government for their support, and want to do everything I can to encourage them to support a free Iran.
Representative Glenn Grothman (R-WI)
I’m also a cosponsor of House Resolution 100 and I hope one more time in the near future we see Persia be what Persia has been in the past, a modern state dedicated to the improvement of its citizens in which they are not able to use the absolute power of the state to crack down on people who have different views than a small segment which is using that state just to promote themselves for their own personal gain.
We are very supportive of the people in Persia who want a free country and republic built on a constitution that guarantees freedoms.
Representative Raul Ruis (D-CA)
It is very appalling and heartbreaking to hear the stories of young girls who have been poisoned in schools and public places. It is clearly evident that young girls are leading this movement in Iran, speaking up and demanding recognition, demanding their rights as people and humans.
And it is clear that this poisoning is a signal that they’re sending to the rest of the Iranian people a message that if you speak up, we will come after you in the most horrible of ways.
But I do believe that there is resilience, grit, and determination. There is hope because of one thing that moves the human spirit and the human soul, regardless of which country you’re from: it’s freedom.
Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC)
The people of Iran are standing up and you need to be understanding, too, that this is really part of a worldwide situation. It’s a conflict and competition between democracies, a rule of law, being opposed by authoritarians with the rule of guns. The people of the world, I believe, are going to choose the democratic path.
You’re standing for freedom. You’re standing for the opportunity and particularly for the young people of Iran. They need to have a positive future and you’re making a difference.
