Contact: Caroline Tabler or James Arnold 


Washington, D.C. - Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Iran Hostage Act, legislation that would sanction Iranian officials responsible for holding American hostages. It would also bar these officials' family members from coming to the United States for any reason.

"Anyone who takes an American hostage has no right to come to the United States and enjoy its freedoms. Until the Iranian regime respects Americans' basic human rights, they and their relatives will not be welcome in this country," said Cotton.

Companion legislation passed the House of Representatives 410-2 earlier this year.

Specifically, the bill:

  • Expresses a sense of Congress that the U.S. government should use all necessary and appropriate measures to prevent Iran from taking U.S. persons hostages.
  • Declares that the U.S. government does not pay ransom for U.S. hostages.
  • Imposes visa, property, and financial sanctions on Iranian officials responsible for the "politically-motivated harassment, abuse, extortion, arrest, trial, conviction, sentencing, or imprisonment of citizens of the United States or lawful permanent residents with significant ties to the United States."
  • Gives the President the authority to declare family members of these Iranian officials inadmissible to the United States and revoke these individuals' existing U.S. visas.
  • Sanctions terminate 30 days after the President declares that Iran no longer holds U.S. citizens or LPRs hostage.

 

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