On July 16, 2025, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025, aiming to label the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The bill, cosponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton, John Boozman, Rick Scott, Ashley Moody, and Dave McCormick, adopts a “bottom-up” approach, targeting violent branches like Hamas before designating the global organization for supporting terrorism. Cruz emphasized the group’s ties to Hamas, which killed 53 Americans in the October 7, 2023, attack, and its goal to overthrow non-Islamist governments, posing a threat to U.S. security.
The legislation seeks to block U.S. funds from reaching the Brotherhood and ban its members from entering the country. Countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have already designated the group as terrorist, and a 2025 French report flagged its threat to secular values. Supported by AIPAC and Christians United for Israel, the bill builds on Cruz’s prior attempts in 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2021, which stalled due to the Brotherhood’s nonviolent factions. Critics, including former State Department officials, argue the designation risks alienating allies and infringing on free speech, given the group’s complex political and social roles.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) backs a House companion bill, suggesting bipartisan support. The bill requires the State Department to catalog Brotherhood branches and impose sanctions, potentially reshaping U.S. policy. As Congress debates, the question looms: will this curb terrorism or complicate America’s global relations?
