U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) have introduced the DETERRENCE Act, a bipartisan effort aimed at countering violent crimes and assassination attempts against U.S. citizens carried out by individuals recruited by foreign adversaries, including Iran.
The proposed legislation seeks to impose tougher criminal penalties on those who engage in or attempt violent acts in the United States on behalf of foreign governments.
The move follows alarming reports that Iran has recruited criminals to carry out attacks, including an alleged assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.
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Senator Ernst, speaking about the legislation, emphasized the need for strong deterrence measures.
“After years of appeasement, Iran knows no bounds,” said Ernst. “Now that the regime has become so emboldened that it even attempted to assassinate President Trump, Senator Hassan and I are taking action to ensure any bad actor thinks twice before working with our adversaries or messing with any of our citizens. The bipartisan DETERRENCE Act will create severe consequences for anyone helping carry out Iran’s malign mission of ‘death to America’ and make any criminal organization think twice before targeting Americans on our own soil.”
“Foreign adversaries like Iran are working with criminal organizations in the United States to kill people on American soil,” Hassan added. “This bipartisan legislation will take the existing criminal penalties on gangs and criminals who engage in violent behavior and make them even stronger for when they act on behalf of a foreign government. I will work with my colleagues to pass this legislation as quickly as possible to send a clear message that the United States will not tolerate this outrageous behavior.”
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Targeting Foreign-Sponsored Violent Acts
The DETERRENCE Act introduces heightened penalties for specific crimes committed on behalf of foreign governments, including:
- Murder-for-hire schemes
- Murder or attempted murder of federal officials
- Murder or attempted murder of former federal officials or their families due to their official actions
- Assaults on former federal officials or their families because of their official actions
- Kidnapping or attempted kidnapping
- Violent threats involving dangerous weapons against current or former federal officials and their families
- Stalking
By increasing criminal penalties, the legislation aims to deter foreign adversaries from leveraging domestic criminal organizations for their malicious objectives.
Ernst and Hassan had previously written to the Department of Justice (DOJ), seeking information on foreign government efforts to enlist U.S.-based criminals to commit violent acts.
Their inquiry called for transparency about any increases in such activity and the DOJ’s strategies to prevent foreign adversaries from targeting Americans.
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With bipartisan support, the DETERRENCE Act aims to bolster national security and demonstrate the United States’ commitment to protecting its citizens. The senators are pushing for swift passage of the legislation to send a strong message to adversaries like Iran that their actions will not go unpunished.
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