Van Hollen, Menendez, Blackburn, Coons, Risch, Lankford, Colleagues Reintroduce Bipartisan Resolution in Support of Anti-Regime Protests in Iran

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) alongside their Senate colleagues in reintroducing a bipartisan resolution reaffirming the United States’ support for the Iranian citizens who have taken to the streets in peaceful protest and condemning Iranian security forces for human rights abuses. 

In addition to calling on the international community to continue to publicly highlight and condemn the Iranian regime’s crackdown since protests began more than five months ago, the resolution urges the Biden administration to strengthen international efforts to impose additional sanctions on officials and entities responsible for the violent suppression of demonstrations. The resolution also underscores the importance of the U.S. government and the private sector providing additional support for access to digital communications and internet freedom in Iran so that Iranian citizens have the tools necessary to communicate with the world and each other. 

In addition to Senator Van Hollen, joining the resolution led by Senators Menendez, Blackburn, Coons, Risch, and Lankford, were Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Casey Jr. (D-Penn.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).

A concurrent resolution led by Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), and Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this week.

Full text of the resolution can be found here.