NIAC Action grades members of the U.S. House and Senate based on their voting record and actions in our 3 priority areas: Peace and Diplomacy, Human and Civil Rights, and Equitable Immigration. Lawmakers’ scores are tracked in real-time, so grades are subject to change based on what actions they take prior to the conclusion of the 117th Congress at the end of 2022.

View the Scorecard on Google Sheets ➔

Legend

✅ = NIAC ACTION SUPPORTS

❌ = NIAC ACTION OPPOSES

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Civil and Human Rights

✅ Humanitarian Sanctions Relief Letter (February ’21): bicameral letter to President Biden urging him to take on a broader analysis of the humanitarian impacts of sanctions and to reconsider sanctions that are impeding COVID-19 relief. Learn more 

✅ Internet Freedom Letter (October ’21): a bipartisan letter to President Biden urging him to revise General License D-1 to ensure that sanctions do not block internet service providers from servicing Iranians. Learn more  

Peace and Diplomacy 

✅ Restore the Deal Letter (December ’20): encouraged President-elect Biden to restore U.S. and Iranian compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on a compliance-for-compliance basis. Learn more

❌ AIPAC Anti-Deal Letter (March ’21): a direct counter to the letter urging a compliance-for-compliance return to the deal, according to Rep. Waltz, the letter called on Biden to address the full spectrum of concerns with Iran at the outset of negotiations.

✅ 2002 AUMF Repeal (H.R. 256) Vote (June ’21): repeals the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.

❌ House Republican Anti-Diplomacy Letter (February ’22): letter to President Biden issuing unattainable demands and demanding that an agreement be submitted as a treaty.

❌ “Bipartisan Concerns” Letter (March ’22): letter expressed concern about the negotiations and discouraged the Biden administration from offering to remove Trump-era sanctions in order to secure a reentry into the JCPOA.

❌ AIPAC Anti-Deal Press Statement (April ’21): 18 Members of Congress expressed “concerns” about the Iran negotiations in a clear effort to discourage the administration from striking an agreement. Learn more

✅ JCPOA 2015 Vote: How the Member of Congress voted on the JCPOA in 2015, which could have a large impact on their view of any future agreement with Iran.

❌ Diplomacy Statements: Public statements encouraging or discouraging the Biden administration from restoring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or striking a diplomatic agreement with Iran.

Equitable Immigration

✅ NO BAN Act (H.R. 1333) Vote (April ’21): limits the authority of the President to restrict immigrants from entering the United States, prevents the President from making immigration-related orders on a discriminatory basis, and increases Congressional oversight of newly instituted travel bans. Learn more

✅ Diversity Visa Relief in House HS Approps (July ’21 – only for House Appropriations committee): the House Homeland Security appropriation included relief for individuals selected for the Diversity Visa program but unjustly barred from securing visas. Scoring on passage of the bill out of committee. Learn more

✅ Access to Counsel Act (H.R. 1573) Vote (April ’21): provides various protections for covered individuals subject to secondary or deferred inspections when seeking admission into the United States. Learn more

U.S. SENATE

Civil and Human Rights

✅ Humanitarian Sanctions Relief Letter (February ’21): bicameral letter to President Biden urging him to take on a broader analysis of the humanitarian impacts of sanctions and to reconsider sanctions that are impeding COVID-19 relief. Learn more 

Peace and Diplomacy

✅ Restore the Deal Letter (April ’21): letter to President Biden urged him to rejoin the JCPOA on a compliance-for-compliance basis. Learn more

❌ AIPAC Anti-Deal Senate Letter (March ’21): letter to President Biden pushed by AIPAC suggested that the only acceptable agreement would be one that addresses all concerns with Iran at once. Learn more

✅ Iran Diplomacy Act (S. 434) (February ’21): Introduced in February 2021 by Sen. Ed Markey and his colleagues, the resolution encouraged the Biden administration to move swiftly to restore full compliance with the JCPOA.

❌ Ted Cruz Treaty Letter (February ’22): letter to President Biden demanding that any nuclear agreement with Iran be submitted as a treaty and threatening to tear up any deal.

❌ 49 Republicans Anti-Deal Letter (March ’22): letter signed by all Senate Republicans except Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) threatened to oppose any nuclear agreement with Iran and demanded it be submitted as a treaty.

✅ ❌ JCPOA 2015 Vote:  How the Member of Congress voted on the JCPOA in 2015, which could have a large impact on their view of any future agreement with Iran.

✅ ❌ Diplomacy Statements: Public statements encouraging or discouraging the Biden administration from restoring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or striking a diplomatic agreement with Iran.

Equitable Immigration

✅ NO BAN Act (S. 1891): limits the authority of the President to restrict immigrants from entering the United States, prevents the President from making immigration-related orders on a discriminatory basis, and increases Congressional oversight of newly instituted travel bans. Learn more

✅ Access to Counsel Act (S. 1912): provides various protections for covered individuals subject to secondary or deferred inspections when seeking admission into the United States. Learn more