Gottheimer, Mast’s bipartisan legislation to sanction financial supporters of foreign terror passes Foreign Affairs Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Brian Mast (FL-21), the Hamas International Financing Prevention Act, overwhelmingly passed out of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The bipartisan legislation imposes sanctions on foreign persons, agencies, and governments that assist Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), or their affiliates.

“Just days ago, the world watched Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists invade Israel and brutally kidnap, torture, rape, burn alive, and murder innocent babies, children, women, men, and the elderly, including Americans. This unprovoked war has wreaked havoc upon thousands of lives and underscored why I will always stand with Israel and support our partner’s right to defend herself from those who seek her destruction. This bipartisan legislation will ensure that we isolate and punish radical terrorist groups like Hamas and PIJ by cutting off their financial resources at the moment our most historic ally in the Middle East needs it most,” Gottheimer said.

“We’ve been bombarded by images of the absolute worst of humanity for the last two weeks, but support for Hamas still looms large,” Mast said.  “There should be no ambiguity here: Hamas is responsible for absolutely every innocent life lost in this war.  Full stop.  And any supporter of Hamas is complicit.  Now it’s time for the United States to match our words with action by sanctioning anyone who’s enabled radical Islamic terrorists that chant destruction of Israel.”

Hamas and PIJ are foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated as such by the United States government.

On October 7, 2023, on Shabbat and the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, murdered more than a thousand innocent Israelis, injured thousands, and pulled men, women, young children, and grandparents from their homes to take them as hostages.

The bipartisan Hamas International Financing Prevention Act includes the following provisions:

• The Hamas International Financing Prevention Act requires the President to submit to Congress an annual report for the next three years identifying foreign persons, agencies or instrumentalities of a foreign state who knowingly and materially assist Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or an affiliate or successor of one of those organizations.
• After identifying the organizations, the President must impose two or more sanctions, including denying
  • Export-Import guarantees;
  • Defense support under the Arms Export Control Act;
  • Export of munitions to any agreement to which a person identified is a part;
  • Export of goods or technology controlled for national security reasons;
  • Loans more than $10 million; and
  • Seizure of property held within the United States.
• The bill also requires the President to report to Congress on each government that provides support for acts of terrorism and provides material support to Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or any affiliate or successor organization, or the President determines to have engaged in a significant transaction to knowingly and materially provide support to Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad or any affiliate or successor organization.
• After identifying the governments, the President must suspend U.S. assistance to that government for one year, instruct the executive directors of each international finance institution to vote against any loan or technical assistance to that government and prohibit any munitions export to that government for one year.
• Additionally, the President must prohibit that government’s transactions in foreign exchanges that are subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and prevent that government’s transfers of credits or payments between financial institutions subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.