Issa, Sherman Introduce Legislation to Sanction Houthi Human Right Abuses
WASHINGTON – This week, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), Vice Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32), a senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee introduced H.R. 1848, the Houthi Human Rights Accountability Act. They were joined by Congressmen Mike Lawler (NY-17), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, Brad Schnieder (IL-10), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), and Bill Keating (MA-9).
“The Houthis campaign of terror expanded from a serious regional concern to a daily crisis in a part of the world that is increasingly unstable and has witnessed deadly armed conflict across multiple nations,” said Rep. Issa. “These attacks are made all the worse by the Houthis blatant human rights abuses, teaching of antisemitic hate, and outright theft of international aid still happening every day. I commend the Trump Administration for redesignating the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization carrying out the spirit of my legislation to put a spotlight where it belongs, tells the truth about these terrorists, and put our national interest on a better course that is now dealing with it.”
“For the last decade, the Houthis have held the people of Yemen hostage as they’ve plunged the country into conflict and famine,” said Rep. Sherman. “Since October 7th, they’ve allied with Hamas terrorists to target not only innocent Israelis but also wreak havoc on global shipping, causing skyrocketing food prices for the world’s poorest people,” said Rep. Sherman. “I am proud to join Rep. Issa in introducing the Houthi Human Rights Accountability Act to hold accountable a group responsible for some of the worst death and destruction we’ve seen this century.”
H.R. 1848 compliments the Trump Administration’s March 4, 2025 decision to redesignate the Houthi Movement as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and contains specific provisions:
Affirms the sense of Congress that the Houthi antisemitic indoctrination is a threat to regional stability
Require the State Department to inform Congress on Houthi indoctrination, on gross violations of human rights abuses by the Houthis, and how the Houthis have attempted to interfere with humanitarian aid delivery in Yemen.
Requires a determination on whether Houthis involved in blocking humanitarian aid and human rights abuses should be sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act.
Requires a determination on whether Houthis should be sanctioned for hostage-taking under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act.
The text of the Issa bill can be found here.
The Houthi movement, officially known as Ansarallah, is a longtime terrorist group based in Yemen. It has also received material and monetary support from Iran for the express purpose of committing terrorism within Yemen as well as regionally. Additionally, since October 7th of last year, the Houthis have carried out a daily campaign of firing drones, rockets, and missiles to significantly disrupt international shipping in and around the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden while frequently attacking U.S. Navy vessels.
Darrell Issa is the Representative of California’s 48th Congressional District, which encompasses the central and eastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County, including the communities of Fallbrook, Valley Center, Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Lakeside, Poway, Temecula, Murrieta, and the mountain and desert areas of the San Diego-Imperial County line. Issa served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2011-2015.
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