Senators Hassan, Ernst Announce Upcoming Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Foreign Adversaries Directing Violent Crimes in the U.S.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) announced that when the Senate returns into session, they will introduce bipartisan legislation to strengthen criminal penalties to hold accountable individuals who commit or attempt to commit violent crimes in the United States on behalf of foreign adversaries.

This legislation follows reports that Iran is paying criminal organizations to carry out violent crimes, including attempted assassinations, against critics of the Iranian regime who are residing in the United States. Senators Hassan, Ernst, and a bipartisan group of colleagues previously wrote to the DOJ calling for more information – and the need for increased criminal penalties – to address this issue as well.

“We need to do more to stop the new and chilling set of attempted crimes by our foreign adversaries who are trying to silence their critics in the United States by directing criminals in our country to harm them,” said Senator Hassan. “Our upcoming bipartisan legislation will help ensure that those who commit or attempt these heinous acts face serious consequences and deter others from accepting offers to do the dirty work of foreign governments.”

“Iran is bringing their reign of violence to our homeland, and bad actors helping the regime carry out its proxy terrorism must be met with consequences,” said Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Any person or organization that does the bidding of foreign adversaries on U.S. soil jeopardizes Americans’ safety. We must end the growing footprint of Tehran’s terrorism and deter this criminal behavior by ensuring it’s met with the full force of the justice system.”

The DETERRENCE Act would, among other potential measures, create minimum sentences for criminals who knowingly act at the direction of, or in coordination with, a foreign government to commit crimes such as murder-for-hire, threatening or assaulting current/former U.S. officials, kidnapping, and stalking. The legislation aims to both hold offenders accountable and deter individuals, including criminal organizations, from working with foreign adversaries to carry out violence on American soil.

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