Some of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation who had called for tougher sanctions on Iran in light of its suspected support and training of Hamas terrorists in their brutal attack on Israel got big support Friday in the U.S. House.
House members voted 342-69 in support of the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum or SHIP bill. It proposes tougher restrictions on foreign ports and refineries that process crude oil exported from Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.
All five Oklahoma House members, Stephanie Bice, Josh Brecheen, Tom Cole, Kevin Hern and Frank Lucas voted for the tougher move against the country.
A bipartisan statement came from Republican Rep. Mike Lawler and Democrat, Rep. Jared Moskowitz. They said the SHIP bill “sends a clear and strong message to bad actors like China, Russia and others—do not help Iran avoid sanctions and assist them in their funding of terror—or face the consequences.”
However, the bill still faces a vote in the U.S. Senate and must be signed by President Biden before it could become law. In the Senate, there is a companion bill sponsored by GOP Sens. Marco Rubio and John Kennedy and Democratic Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jacky Rosen.
The bipartisan support in the other chamber could be a strong indication that the SHIP bill could win approval and be sent to the White House.
U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil stem from the country’s nuclear program, which Iran contends is only for peaceful purposes and not the development of a nuclear bomb. Iran exports about 1.5 million barrels of crude a day, the highest level in more than four years, according to Reuters. Nearly 80% of it is shipped to China.