Majority in US House of Representatives introduces H.Res 100 to change Iranian policy

On Thursday, 9 March 2023, a bipartisan group of members of the US House of Representatives introduced a resolution calling for a new approach to Iranian policy. The resolution, which has already gained majority support in the House in the first 50 days of the 118th Congress, is sponsored by key members of several committees, including Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Homeland Security, Appropriations and the Select Committee on Intelligence.

The announcement comes as protests by the Iranian people continue and the regime's crackdown intensifies. It also paves the way for a new US policy towards Iran and coincides with concerns about chemical attacks on schoolgirls across the country on International Women's Day.

Representative Tom McClintock (R-CA):

I am pleased to announce that House Resolution 100, expressing congressional support for the Iranian people's right to a democratic, secular, non-nuclear republic, now has the support of an absolute majority of the House of Representatives. 223 of the 435 members of the House, Republicans and Democrats alike, now support the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom from the theocratic thugs who have oppressed them for too long.

The Iranian people are fed up with the human rights violations, the utter incompetence of the mullahs and the tyranny of the Guardians (of the Islamic Revolution). Increasingly, Iranian women, whose legitimate aspirations have been suppressed by the government, and young people, whose future has been stolen by this government, have taken the lead in regular demonstrations across the country.

Their message is clear: we have had enough and we will take no more. We do not have to live under the rule of dictators, we can take our rightful place among the free peoples of the world and enjoy the human rights, human dignity, freedoms and prosperity that are the hallmarks of free societies.

These new leaders have endured torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and even death to win their freedom, and their heroism and determination have earned the world's attention and now the support of the majority of the elected representatives of the American people.

Once the Iranian dictators are removed from power and justice is done for their crimes, it will be up to the Iranian people to chart their future course. But this will not be difficult. The principles of the ten-point plan:

• The universal right to vote in free and fair elections.
• The right of all to participate in a free market and enjoy the prosperity that freedom guarantees.
• The right to be judged on one's own merits, regardless of gender, religion or ethnicity.
• The right of all to participate in a free market and to enjoy the prosperity that freedom guarantees.
• The right to join the community of free and respected nations, based on peaceful coexistence.

This is Iran's future. The course is set. The journey has already begun and, indeed, its bright destination is visible in the distance.

Representative Deborah Ross (D-NC): 

I am also proud to sponsor this resolution. I am also especially pleased to be with you so close to International Women's Day. The women of Iran are a beacon and an inspiration to the world.

What Iranian women need is to feel safe and free in their own country. I stand in solidarity with you and with all the struggles of my colleagues in Congress.

Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC):

You will see us up here this morning in a bipartisan way, our country supporting those in Iran who want the same freedoms, who want the same liberties, who want the same kind of democracy. And we support a democratic process in Iran. We support your freedom. We support your struggle. You have literally risked your lives for that freedom. And we stand with you.

Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA): 

This is an important moment in Iran, as people from one end of the country to the other are rising up to demand their rights and to call for a peaceful, democratic republic of Iran.

Some of you have been working for a democratic Iran since the 1970s. But we have seen women taking the lead, and this is an appropriate day to recognise their role. We have a resolution which, I am told, already has 223 co-sponsors. That is a majority of the House.

The resolution recognises Maryam Rajavi as one of the women who have led the fight for democracy in Iran. And it commemorates a whole new generation of women fighting against the regime, which has continued its violent attacks on protesters and anyone who dares to dissent, including the horrific killing of more than 500 innocent protesters, many of them teenagers and even children.

Tens of thousands of people have been arrested and some sentenced to death. The regime's legacy of murdering dissidents is nothing new. It has been used for decades as a tactic to stifle the Iranian people's struggle for freedom. This includes, of course, the brutal murders of thousands of dissidents during the 1988 massacre, carried out by regime officials, including now President Raisi. He is resorting to violence because he has no arguments and no basis on which to win the support of the people.

Representative Don Bacon (R-NE)

I stand with the Iranian people. They and we want freedom, democracy, human rights, all the things that Mrs Rajavi has said. These are the principles that the United States stands for, and we hope that one day the Iranian people will benefit from them as well. We hope that one day they will have a people's house in Tehran.

Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AL)

I am pleased to co-sponsor House Resolution 100 and to say simply that the United States Congress supports the desire of the Iranian people to be free, and not just to be free, but to be democratic, to be secular, to have no nuclear weapons, to allow people of all faiths to practise their religion and their faith as they see fit, and to make sure that they enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy and take for granted in this country.

I know that Albania has been a great friend to those who want to see a new Iran. So I want to thank the Albanian government for their support, and I want to do everything I can to encourage them to support a free Iran.

Representative Glenn Grothman (R-WI)

I too am a sponsor of House Resolution 100 and hope that in the near future we will see Persia return to what it has been in the past, a modern state that is dedicated to the betterment of its citizens and is not able to use the absolute power of the state to repress those who hold views different from those of a small segment of the population who use the state only for personal advancement and wealth.

We fully support the Iranian people who want a free country and a republic based on a constitution that guarantees freedoms.

Representative Raul Ruis (D-CA)

It is very painful and heartbreaking to hear the stories of young girls being poisoned in schools and public places. It is clear that young women are leading this movement in Iran, that they are speaking out and demanding to be recognised, demanding their rights as people and as human beings.

And it is clear that this poisoning is a signal to the rest of the Iranian people that if you speak out, we will come after you in the most horrible way.

But I think there is resilience, there is courage and determination. There is hope, because there is one thing that drives the human spirit and the human soul, no matter what country you come from: it is freedom.

Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC)

The Iranian people are rising up, and we have to understand that this is part of a global situation. It is a conflict and a competition between democracies, the rule of law and authoritarians who use weapons. I believe that the people of the world will choose the democratic way.

They stand for freedom. They stand for opportunity, especially for the young people of Iran. They need a positive future and you are making a difference.