House members introduce bipartisan resolution supporting Iranian protesters

February 8, 2023; Washington Examiner

More than 100 members of Congress co-sponsored a resolution on Wednesday that condemned the Iranian regime and supported protests in the country spurred by Mahsa Amini's death in September.

The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), was introduced to the House Foreign Affairs Committee with 165 co-sponsors and supported the protesters' goal of a "democratic, secular, and nonnuclear Republic of Iran." The resolution also "condemned violations of human rights and state-sponsored terrorism by the Iranian Government," according to an advance copy of the resolution obtained by the Washington Examiner.

The House of Representatives passed a resolution that praised the bravery and courage of Iranian protesters last month. The new resolution goes further to focus on policy and recognizes that protests against the regime have occurred for four decades. It also supports opposition leader Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan for the future of Iran, which calls for the universal right to vote, free elections, and a market economy, as well as gender, religious, and ethnic equality.

The resolution also "condemned violations of human rights and state-sponsored terrorism by the Iranian Government," according to an advance copy of the resolution obtained by the Washington Examiner.

The House of Representatives passed a resolution that praised the bravery and courage of Iranian protesters last month. The new resolution goes further to focus on policy and recognizes that protests against the regime have occurred for four decades. It also supports opposition leader Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point plan for the future of Iran, which calls for the universal right to vote, free elections, and a market economy, as well as gender, religious, and ethnic equality.

McClintock urged the U.S. government to work with European allies to hold Iran accountable for "breaching diplomatic privileges" and condemn the Iranian government's killing of Iranian protesters.

Other members of Congress were at Wednesday's briefing, including Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH), who slammed the Biden administration for discussing a nuclear deal with Iran despite its "vile" treatment of its own citizens and its decision to help Russia during its invasion of Ukraine. "Here's my message to President Biden if he's listening, do not encourage this behavior by continuing to talk about the nuclear deal," Johnson said. "The Iranian regime is fundamentally anti-American and hostile to all American standards of human rights. Today we stand with all Iranians fighting for their God-given rights, especially the women taking a stand in the name of freedom. The Iranian regime should not be rewarded with a nuclear weapon or pallets of cash. And I, for one, will continue fighting to ensure they never will."
McClintock agreed that the U.S. should not reward Iran with weapons or cash that could be used to oppress the Iranian protesters.

"Not many years ago, this nation sent pallets of cash, accounting for more than a billion dollars, to the dictators of Iran, which was used to oppress the people," McClintock told the Washington Examiner. "We owe it to them to get resources to those who are fighting for their freedom."

Uprisings took over the streets of Iran after the death of Amini, who died at the age of 22 while she was in the custody of the country's "morality police" for not wearing her hijab correctly on Sept. 16, 2022. The protests have been largely conducted by women who are protesting for women's rights, democracy, and a complete change to the Iranian regime, including the toppling of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The protests are the largest threat to the Iranian regime since its founding in 1979.