[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8001 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8001
To impose sanctions on the Houthis for attacks on international
shipping, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 15, 2024
Mr. Green of Tennessee (for himself, Mr. Moskowitz, Mr. McCaul, Mr.
Wilson of South Carolina, Ms. Salazar, and Mrs. Radewagen) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To impose sanctions on the Houthis for attacks on international
shipping, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Combating Houthi Threats and
Aggression Act''.
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to work with United States
allies and partners to safeguard maritime security in the Red Sea and
the Gulf of Aden, including by supporting interdiction efforts and by
opposing attacks on international shipping that threaten the free flow
of commerce, endanger innocent mariners, and violate international law,
as such attacks harm the global economy, destabilize the Middle East
and Africa region, and undermine United States national security
interests.
SEC. 3. REPORT ON CAPABILITY OF THE HOUTHIS TO THREATEN UNITED STATES
NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICY GOALS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the
capability of the Houthis (also known as ``Ansar Allah'') to threaten
United States national security and foreign policy goals.
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by subsection (a)
shall include the following:
(1) An assessment of senior Houthi leadership' intentions
and capacity to conduct and sustain military operations from
Yemen that target the United States, Israel, or global
shipping.
(2) A description of the funding, materiel, training, and
other forms of support the Houthis receive from Iran,
Hezbollah, or any other entity acting for or on behalf of Iran,
including contributions to advance the Houthis' indigenous
weapons production capability and existing weapons arsenal.
(3) A description of the Houthis' ballistic missile and
unmanned delivery systems, including those that are covered
under Category 1 or Category 2 of the Missile Control
Technology Regime and the precision and reach of such weapons.
(4) A description of the Houthis' maritime capabilities,
including sea missiles and drones.
(5) An analysis of the Houthi's current indigenous weapons
production capabilities and how their control over the Al-
Hudaydah port and Sana'a international airport enables them to
sustain weapons production.
(6) An assessment of the Houthis' stockpiles and employment
of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) dual-use drone technology,
and the countries of origin for these products.
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Armed Services of the Senate.
SEC. 4. REPORT ON HOUTHI ATTACKS THAT THREATEN FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION IN
THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the day of enactment
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report on the following:
(1) A summary of Houthi (also known as ``Ansar Allah'')
attacks that threaten freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and
Gulf of Aden.
(2) An assessment of the impact that Houthi threats to
freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have on
United States security interests.
(3) An assessment of the impact that Houthi threats to
freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have on
the global economy, including the United States economy.
(4) An assessment of Iran's role in the Houthis' attacks
that threaten freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of
Aden, including Iran's provision of targeting assistance to the
Houthis.
(5) A description of China's presence in the Red Sea and
Gulf of Aden during the reporting period.
(6) An assessment of how the Houthis' attacks in the Red
Sea and Gulf of Aden impact Russia, China, and Iran's freedom
of navigation in those waterways relative to the United States
and our partners' freedom of navigation.
(b) Scope.--The initial report required by subsection (a) shall
address the period beginning on October 7, 2023, and ending on the date
that is 90 days after date of the enactment of this Act, and each
subsequent report shall address the one-year period following the
conclusion of the prior report.
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Armed Services of the Senate.
SEC. 5. REPORT ON VIOLATIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST
YEMEN AUTHORIZED UNDER UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION 2216.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the
following:
(1) A description of violations or attempted violations of
the United Nations arms embargo against Yemen authorized under
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216 (2015) and
successor resolutions.
(2) A list of incidents in which the United States or other
countries interdicted weapons and related components believed
to be intended for the Houthis, including--
(A) for each interdiction incident, what specific
entity conducted the interdiction, the circumstances
and location of such interdiction, what weapons or
components were seized and the believed origins of such
components, and under what authority each such seizure
took place;
(B) a description of what United States Government
resources are currently devoted to identifying,
disrupting, interdicting, or otherwise dismantling the
flow of illicit weapons intended for the Houthis, and
identifying under what authorities these activities
take place; and
(C) United States coordination with international
partners on efforts to identify, disrupt, dismantle or
interdict illicit weapons flows to the Houthis,
including identifying United States security assistance
and cooperation programs that contribute to the
interdiction efforts of such partners.
(b) Scope.--The initial report required by subsection (a) shall
address the period beginning on January 1, 2022, and ending on the date
that is 90 days after date of the enactment of this Act, and each
subsequent report shall address the one-year period following the
conclusion of the prior report.
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Armed Services of the Senate.
SEC. 6. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO ANY ATTACKS BY THE HOUTHIS ON
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING IN THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN
AND OTHER MILITARY SUPPORT TO THE HOUTHIS.
(a) In General.--The President shall impose the sanctions described
in subsection (b) with respect to any foreign person the President
determines, on or after the date of enactment of this Act--
(1) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have
directly or indirectly engaged in, any attacks by the Houthis
(also known as ``Ansar Allah'') that threaten international
shipping in the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden;
(2) knowingly engages in, or attempts to engage in,
activities or transactions that have materially contributed to,
or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to the
conduct described in paragraph (1); or
(3) knowingly engages in any activity that materially
contributes to the supply, sale, or transfer directly or
indirectly of arms and related materiel of all types, including
weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment,
paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned,
and technical assistance, training, financial or other
assistance, to any foreign person engaging in the conduct
described in paragraph (1).
(b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
subsection are the following:
(1) Blocking of property.--The President shall exercise all
authorities granted under the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to
block and prohibit all transactions in property and interests
in property of the foreign person if such property and
interests in property are in the United States, come within the
United States, or come within the possession or control of a
United States person.
(2) Ineligibility for visas, admission, or parole.--
(A) Visas, admission, or parole.--An alien
described in subsection (a) shall be--
(i) inadmissible to the United States;
(ii) ineligible to receive a visa or other
documentation to enter the United States; and
(iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted
or paroled into the United States or to receive
any other benefit under the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
(B) Current visas revoked.--
(i) In general.--The visa or other entry
documentation of any alien described in
subsection (a) is subject to revocation
regardless of the issue date of the visa or
other entry documentation.
(ii) Immediate effect.--A revocation under
clause (i) shall, in accordance with section
221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1201(i))--
(I) take effect immediately; and
(II) cancel any other valid visa or
entry documentation that is in the
possession of the alien.
(c) Penalties.--Any person that violates, or attempts to violate,
subsection (b) or any regulation, license, or order issued pursuant to
that subsection, shall be subject to the penalties set forth in
subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person
that commits an unlawful act described in subsection (a) of that
section.
(d) Waiver.--
(1) In general.--The President may waive, on a case-by-case
basis, the application of sanctions under this section for
periods not to exceed 180 days with respect to a foreign person
only if, not later than 15 days prior to the date on which the
waiver is to take effect, the President submits to the
appropriate congressional committees a written determination
and justification that the waiver is in the national security
interests of the United States.
(2) Briefing.--Not later than 60 days after the issuance of
a waiver under paragraph (1), and every 180 days thereafter
while the waiver remains in effect, the President shall brief
the appropriate congressional committees on the reasons for the
waiver.
(e) Implementation.--The President may exercise all authorities
provided under sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this
section.
(f) Regulations.--
(1) In general.--The President shall, not later than 120
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, promulgate
regulations as necessary for the implementation of this
section.
(2) Notification to congress.--Not later than 10 days
before the promulgation of regulations under this subsection,
the President shall notify the appropriate congressional
committees of the proposed regulations and the provisions of
this section that the regulations are implementing.
(g) Exceptions.--
(1) Exception for intelligence activities.--Sanctions under
this section shall not apply to any activity subject to the
reporting requirements under title V of the National Security
Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq.) or any authorized
intelligence activities of the United States.
(2) Exception to comply with international obligations and
for law enforcement activities.--Sanctions under this section
shall not apply with respect to an alien if admitting or
paroling the alien into the United States is necessary--
(A) to permit the United States to comply with the
Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United
Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and
entered into force November 21, 1947, between the
United Nations and the United States, or other
applicable international obligations; or
(B) to carry out or assist authorized law
enforcement activity in the United States.
SEC. 7. SUNSET.
This Act shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date
of the enactment of this Act.
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