Sponsor
Andy Ogles
Representative · R-TN
Representative · R-TN
The bill provides new diplomatic and economic tools and improved congressional oversight to pressure foreign governments to allow humanitarian access for Gazans, but it offers little immediate relief while raising risks of diplomatic strain, legal complexity, reduced transparency, and concentrated executive power.
Displaced Palestinians from Gaza would have increased prospects for humanitarian entry or evacuation if regional states cooperate, potentially improving access to safety and aid for affected civilians.
The U.S. gains concrete diplomatic and economic tools (visa bans, property-blocking under IEEPA, and conditional withholding of aid) to pressure foreign officials and governments that refuse humanitarian entry, increasing leverage to deter future obstruction.
Congress and U.S. policymakers receive recurring, unclassified lists of foreign officials who refused humanitarian entry and notifications when suspensions are terminated, improving congressional oversight and situational awareness.
Displaced Palestinians and other civilians are unlikely to see immediate relief because the bill does not create funded programs, timelines, or direct humanitarian assistance.
Imposing visa and economic sanctions or withholding aid risks straining U.S. diplomatic relations, provoking retaliation, and complicating humanitarian coordination, which could harm regional stability and U.S. strategic priorities.
Withholding U.S. security or economic aid from countries that refuse humanitarian entry could worsen humanitarian conditions for civilians in those countries who rely on U.S.-funded programs.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Creates reporting, authorizes IEEPA blocking sanctions and visa bans on officials, and permits suspension of major-non‑NATO status and U.S. assistance for countries that refuse to accept Palestinians from Gaza.
Official title: To impose sanctions on foreign persons failing to cooperate with the United States.
Introduced February 7, 2025 by Andy Ogles · Last progress February 7, 2025
Directs the President to identify and potentially punish foreign government officials and countries that refuse a U.S. request to permit humanitarian entry of Palestinians from Gaza. It requires a recurring unclassified list (with an optional classified annex) of named foreign persons who declined such requests, authorizes IEEPA-based blocking sanctions and immigration consequences for those persons, allows the President to suspend major-non‑NATO status and any foreign assistance (including security assistance) to countries that decline, and exempts Israel from application. Sanctions authority includes blocking property under IEEPA (with some procedural waivers), visa/entry bans and visa revocations, civil/criminal penalties for violations of implementing rules, a presidential waiver for national-interest determinations, periodic waiver reporting to Congress, and a five-year sunset for the sanctions-list authority. Suspension of assistance and designation status is discretionary and can be terminated by the President with notice to congressional committees.