Steil Introduces Amendment to National Defense Bill, Requires DoD to Hold Iran Accountable

JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN—Bryan Steil introduced an amendment to the nation's defense funding bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), to require the Department of Defense to inform Congress on the threats posed by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.

"Iran is the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism and cannot be trusted. We must hold Iran accountable and fully understand the scope of Iran's influence across the Middle East. Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have been involved in grave human rights abuses and were under the command of Qasem Soleimani who launched an attack on U.S. forces in December. We must ensure our national security strategy combats threats from Iran and its militias. I will continue working with my colleagues and the Administration to prevent Iran's power grab and terrorist activity across the globe," said Steil.

Steil has been an outspoken proponent of increasing pressure on Iran and ensuring Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. Steil introduced the Stop Evasion of Iran Sanctions Act giving the Secretary of the Treasury critical tools to prevent European companies from avoiding U.S. sanctions by inappropriately trading with Iran through a backchannel known as INSTEX. Steil also penned an op-ed in the Washington Examiner about the need to hold Iran accountable during the coronavirus pandemic.