A new bipartisan bill has been introduced following alleged Iranian assassination plots of individuals including President-elect Donald Trump, according to Texas Representative Nathaniel Moran's press statement.
Moran and Missouri Representative Ann Wagner introduced the Deterring External Threats and Ensuring Robust Responses to Egregious and Nefarious Criminal Endeavors (DETERRENCE) Act, which would "increase the criminal sentences for those who commit certain crimes at the direction of, or in coordination with, a foreign government."
Moran noted that the bill is targeting Iranian assassination agents, and he said, "Recent assassination attempts and threats against President Trump and other U.S. citizens by Iran underscore the urgent need for strong and practical deterrence against all foreign regimes who seek to harm Americans on our soil.
"This bipartisan, bicameral legislation is a testament to America's unwavering commitment to protecting its people and leaders. The DETERRENCE Act delivers a clear and resolute message: any attempt to harm Americans will be met with swift and decisive punishment."
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Islamic Republic of Iran via email.
Newsweek also reached out to Hassan via email, Ernst via a form on her website, and the U.S. Department of Justice via a form on its website for comment outside of business hours.
The DETERRENCE Act would increase sentencing for crimes committed at the direction of or in coordination with a foreign government, including murder for hire, murder of federal officers and employees (including military), kidnapping, stalking, threats of violence against current or former U.S. officials and their families, violent crimes against current and former U.S. officials and their families, and violent crimes against the president, vice president, president-elect, or vice president-elect.
The Department of Justice announced its knowledge of an alleged Iranian murder-for-hire plot to kill the president-elect on November 8, and that 51-year-old Farhad Shakeri said he was instructed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps to kill Trump on October 7.
Shakeri's reported assassination plot not only included Trump, but other American and Israeli citizens in the U.S. Iran has denounced these allegations and denied any involvement.
The Department of Justice filed criminal charges against Farhad including murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, money laundering conspiracy, conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the Government of Iran.
The Department of Justice also charged a Pakistani man with ties to Iran in connection to a murder-for-hire plot said to be targeting Trump in September
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice her support for the bill and she wrote, "After years of appeasement, Iran knows no bounds, even trying to assassinate President Trump. @SenatorHassan and I are introducing the DETERRENCE Act to create severe and enforceable consequences for anyone helping carry out a foreign adversary's malign mission on our own soil."
New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan also endorsed the bill in a post on X, which included a video of her interview with Fox News alongside Ernst discussing the DETERRENCE Act.
She said, "Look this is outrageous behavior by Iran, right? They are working with criminal organizations in the United States to kill people on American soil. That is unacceptable, we talked again about what do we do in America to demonstrate to the autocrats around the world that we will not stand for this?
"The DETERRENCE bill that Senator Ernst and I have is really our effort to say, look there are already serious criminal penalties for gangs or criminals who engage in this behavior on American soil, but when they act in concert on behalf of a foreign government, what we want to make very clear is those penalties will be even more severe. That not only is important for deterrence, but it gives our law enforcement, our prosecutors, extra leverage against these gangs and really helps disrupt them."
Others have voiced their agreement with Ernst and Hassan about the necessity of the bill, including Florida Representative Jared Moskowitz, who said in a statement, "As a member of the bipartisan task force investigating the assassination attempts against Donald Trump, I am deeply disturbed by the Iranian regime actively targeting the President-elect as well as other American nationals. We need to send a message that any person who works with a foreign government, especially a state sponsor of terrorism like Iran, will face severe consequences for harming Americans. I'm proud to be co-leading this bipartisan, bicameral bill to deter these kinds of threats."
Illinois Representative Brad Schneider also released a statement about the bill and said, "Iran's demonstrated willingness to target Americans, including elected officials, with murder-for-hire plots is deeply alarming. Congress must take decisive action to protect our citizens and hold foreign adversaries accountable. That's why I helped introduce the bipartisan DETERRENCE Act, which will increase penalties for these heinous crimes. This legislation sends a clear message to Iran and any nation or individual conspiring against Americans: they will be held to account for such acts of violence."
As the bill was just introduced on November 22, it is not listed when it will be voted on or when it could potentially come into effect.
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