[ May 3, 2026 ]
The Democrats are the party of jihad and Jew hatred.
“Senate Democrats are delaying Israel aid while refusing to sanction Iran, the leading state backer of terrorism and the sworn enemy of Israel.”
Cardin Blocks Bipartisan Bill To Sanction Iranian Leaders for Human Rights Abuses
ADVERTISEMENTBy: Adam Kredo, WFB, January 2, 2024
Democratic senator Ben Cardin (Md.) is blocking the upper chamber from advancing a bipartisan bill that would sanction Iran’s leadership for its role in mass human rights crimes, prompting outrage among Iranian-American dissidents who have been lobbying in favor of the legislation for months.
Cardin, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, informed activists at the end of last year that he would not be moving forward with the MAHSA Act, named after 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who was killed by Tehran’s morality police in September 2022. Amini’s death sparked nationwide protests that are still percolating more than a year later.
The bill, which overwhelmingly passed the House last year with more than 400 votes, would sanction Iran’s supreme leader and his inner circle for decades of human rights abuses. Those include the murder and torture of anti-regime dissidents, including those detained by the country’s security forces for protesting Amini’s murder.
As the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s head, Cardin has the power to stall the bill and prevent it from coming up for a full vote in the chamber. The senator’s office in a Dec. 21 email informed Iranian-American activists of the decision. Cardin’s decision to delay the legislation prompted outrage among Iranian dissidents, who have been championing the bill as a centerpiece of their efforts to increase American pressure on the Islamic Republic.
ADVERTISEMENT“At this time, our office will not be moving forward with this bill,” Cardin’s staff wrote to Iranian-American activist Nick Nikbakht, who shared the correspondence on X, formerly Twitter.
“Killing innocent civilians in Israel, Ukraine & Iran is not enough for Cardin,” Nikbakht wrote alongside a screenshot of the email, which was sent to the activist after more than 100 of the senator’s constituents organized a joint letter in support for the MAHSA Act.
Nikbakht said that he and other Iranian-American activists met with Cardin’s office, as well as other senators from both sides of the aisle, to garner support for the sanctions bill. The activists were trying to ensure that the bill made its way through the Senate after it received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House. These efforts, Nikbakht said, are now stalled because of Cardin.
“Despite the persistent advocacy, multiple meetings, and heartfelt pleas by Maryland constituents who sent letters, we’ve seen no movement from Senator Cardin and, more recently, been informed that they will not be moving forward with the bipartisan human rights bill,” Nikbakht told the Free Beacon.
It is unclear why Cardin is blocking the bill. His office did not respond to a Washington Free Beacon request for comment on the matter.
Rep. Jim Banks (R., Ind.), one of the MAHSA Act’s sponsors in the House, said that with Hamas waging war against Israel with primary support from Iran, now is the time to hold the Islamist regime’s leaders accountable.
“Senate Democrats are delaying Israel aid while refusing to sanction Iran, the leading state backer of terrorism and the sworn enemy of Israel,” Banks told the Free Beacon. “We’re letting our enemies off the hook and leaving our allies in the lurch. It’s a recipe for chaos.”
ADVERTISEMENTThe Truth Must be Told
Your contribution supports independent journalism
Please take a moment to consider this. Now, more than ever, people are reading Geller Report for news they won't get anywhere else. But advertising revenues have all but disappeared. Google Adsense is the online advertising monopoly and they have banned us. Social media giants like Facebook and Twitter have blocked and shadow-banned our accounts. But we won't put up a paywall. Because never has the free world needed independent journalism more.
Everyone who reads our reporting knows the Geller Report covers the news the media won't. We cannot do our ground-breaking report without your support. We must continue to report on the global jihad and the left's war on freedom. Our readers’ contributions make that possible.
Geller Report's independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our work is critical in the fight for freedom and because it is your fight, too.
Please contribute here.
or
Make a monthly commitment to support The Geller Report – choose the option that suits you best.
ADVERTISEMENTQuick note: We cannot do this without your support. Fact. Our work is made possible by you and only you. We receive no grants, government handouts, or major funding.Subscribe to Geller Report newsletter here— it’s free and it’s essential NOW when informed decision making and opinion is essential to America's survival. Share our posts on your social channels and with your email contacts. Fight the great fight.
Follow Pamela Geller on Gettr. I am there. click here.
Follow Pamela Geller on Trump's social media platform, Truth Social. It's open and free.
Remember, YOU make the work possible. If you can, please contribute to Geller Report.
Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spammy or unhelpful, click the ... symbol to the right of the comment to let us know. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
