Sen. Ted Cruz Reintroduces Legislation to Classify Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organization

On Wednesday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) reintroduced a law officially designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. This marks another step in his long-standing efforts that have spanned over a decade, aimed at imposing sanctions on a global Islamist network perceived as a threat to U.S. interests.

The Texas Republican Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025 employs a novel “bottom-up” approach. This strategy seeks to address previous opposition from Democrats by first identifying specific branches of the organization involved in terrorism before labeling the entire group as a supporter of these affiliates.

“The Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organization that supports its offshoots, like Hamas,” Cruz stated. He pointed out that on October 7th, the group committed one of the most deadly attacks on Jews since the Holocaust, leading to the deaths of at least 53 Americans.

Cruz emphasized the urgent need for this designation, indicating it poses a grave risk to American national security. He characterized the organization as “dedicated to the overthrow and destruction of the U.S. and other non-Islamist governments globally.”

The legislation makes clear the connection between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, stating within the bill that “Hamas is a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood,” which it insists is explicitly defined in Hamas’s charter. Notably, it recounts the events of October 7, where Hamas terrorists were responsible for significant loss of life.

The current bill approaches the issue differently than previous attempts made in 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2021, which were criticized for potentially categorizing many Brotherhood affiliates that weren’t directly involved in violence. In a recent podcast discussion, Cruz outlined this new method aimed at overcoming past criticisms.

Cruz acknowledged that his earlier efforts faced setbacks, as critics claimed that not all branches of the Brotherhood were engaged in violent activities, making broad designations challenging to justify. The revised strategy begins with identifying groups within the Brotherhood that are known to be involved in terrorism, which he believes provides a firmer basis for designating the overarching organization.

This approach aims to construct an evidence base linking the Brotherhood to known terrorist entities and utilizes these documented ties to advocate for authorizing actions against the entire network that provides material support to such groups.

The proposed law outlines that the “Muslim Brotherhood functions as a global organization, offering various forms of support to its branches, including financial resources, training, and communication assistance.” It also claims that the Brotherhood’s branches are actively working to destabilize U.S. allies in the Middle East.

Joining Cruz in sponsorship are several senators, including Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Rick Scott (R-FL), who affirmed the necessity of labeling the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, given its hostile rhetoric towards the U.S. and Israel.

In the House, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) have introduced a companion act, further solidifying bipartisan support for these designation efforts.

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928, aiming to establish an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. Over the years, it has grown into a significant political force in Egypt and has spread across the Middle East, with Hamas being one of its more notorious offshoots.

Several U.S. allies, including Bahrain and Egypt, have already taken measures against Brotherhood affiliates, designating them as terrorist organizations and criminalizing their activities.

Cruz’s previous attempts faced pushback due to concerns about branch affiliates in friendly countries, complicating diplomatic relations. His new strategy attempts to alleviate these concerns by focusing on the direct support the Brotherhood provides to identifiable terrorist groups.

Although he recognizes the political hurdles that lie ahead, particularly with Senate Democrats, Cruz maintains that the strategic value of the vote itself lies in revealing which lawmakers are willing to confront organizations linked to terrorism.

The implications of the proposed law are significant. Individuals recognized as members of the Muslim Brotherhood could face severe penalties, including sanctions. Foreign affiliates would risk visa revocations and could be classified as undesirable by the U.S.

The law also mandates that the Secretary of State identifies all Muslim Brotherhood branches globally, requiring an annual report to assess whether their activities warrant a terrorist designation. Once labeled, the president would not have the authority to lift sanctions for a minimum of four years.

Given the barriers in the legislative process, Cruz suggested that an executive order from the President might provide a more feasible path for achieving this designation.

As chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Subcommittee focused on Africa and global health policy, Cruz is positioning himself to push forward counter-terrorism initiatives aimed at organizations threatening U.S. interests in regions where the Brotherhood holds influence.