October 18, 2023

Manchin, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Freeze $6 Billion to Iran, Probe Additional Iranian Assets

Washington, DC – This week, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and 23 of his Senate colleagues introduced the Revoke Iranian Funding Act to rescind the general licenses that authorized the release of $6 billion to Iran and prevent the Iranian regime from accessing and using the funds held in Qatar to finance terrorist attacks against Israel or any other nation.

In addition, this bipartisan legislation directs the U.S. Treasury Secretary to study all high-value Iranian assets around the world that are currently blocked by U.S. sanctions and ensure Congress has the information necessary to enact further targeted legislation.

“To demonstrate our commitment to Israel, we must hold Iran accountable for their sponsorship of Hamas and other terrorist organizations,” said Senator Manchin. “Our bipartisan legislation will halt efforts to provide billions of dollars to Iran and make sure Congress has the information to act against the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism. We must do everything we can to protect our greatest ally in the Middle East.” 

Senator Manchin was joined by U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Cornyn (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Barrasso (R-WY), John Hoeven (R-ND), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Braun (R-IN), Rick Scott (R-FL), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), JD Vance (R-OH), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) in introducing this legislation.

Last week, Senator Manchin sent a bipartisan letter urging U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to make it the official policy of the United States to freeze $6 billion in Iranian assets in the wake of Hamas’s deadly terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

To read the bill text, click here.