[House Hearing, 115 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
VARIOUS MEASURES
=======================================================================
MARKUP
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
H. Res. 185, H. Res. 218, H. Res. 274, H. Res. 317,
H. Res. 359 and H.R. 2646
__________
JUNE 29, 2017
__________
Serial No. 115-49
__________
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COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida BRAD SHERMAN, California
DANA ROHRABACHER, California GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
JOE WILSON, South Carolina GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
TED POE, Texas KAREN BASS, California
DARRELL E. ISSA, California WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts
TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania DAVID N. CICILLINE, Rhode Island
JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina AMI BERA, California
MO BROOKS, Alabama LOIS FRANKEL, Florida
PAUL COOK, California TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas
RON DeSANTIS, Florida ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania
TED S. YOHO, Florida DINA TITUS, Nevada
ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois NORMA J. TORRES, California
LEE M. ZELDIN, New York BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER, Illinois
DANIEL M. DONOVAN, Jr., New York THOMAS R. SUOZZI, New York
F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, Jr., ADRIANO ESPAILLAT, New York
Wisconsin TED LIEU, California
ANN WAGNER, Missouri
BRIAN J. MAST, Florida
FRANCIS ROONEY, Florida
BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania
THOMAS A. GARRETT, Jr., Virginia
Amy Porter, Chief of Staff Thomas Sheehy, Staff Director
Jason Steinbaum, Democratic Staff Director
------
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida, Chairman
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
DARRELL E. ISSA, California GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
RON DeSANTIS, Florida DAVID N. CICILLINE, Rhode Island
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina LOIS FRANKEL, Florida
PAUL COOK, California BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania
ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
LEE M. ZELDIN, New York BRADLEY SCOTT SCHNEIDER, Illinois
DANIEL M. DONOVAN, Jr., New York THOMAS R. SUOZZI, New York
ANN WAGNER, Missouri TED LIEU, California
BRIAN J. MAST, Florida
BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK, Pennsylvania
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
MARKUP ON
H. Res. 185, Calling on the Government of Iran to fulfill
repeated promises of assistance in the case of Robert Levinson,
the longest held United States civilian in our Nation's history 3
H. Res. 218, Recognizing the importance of the United States-
Israel economic relationship and encouraging new areas of
cooperation.................................................... 8
Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 218 offered
by the Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Representative in
Congress from the State of Florida, and chairman,
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa............. 14
H. Res. 274, Condemning the Government of Iran's state-sponsored
persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation
of the International Covenants on Human Rights................. 19
Amendment to H. Res. 274 offered by the Honorable Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen..................................................... 25
H. Res. 317, Calling for the unconditional release of United
States citizens and legal permanent resident aliens being held
for political purposes by the Government of Iran............... 26
Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 317 offered
by the Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen......................... 31
H. Res. 359, Urging the European Union to designate Hizballah in
its entirety as a terrorist organization and increase pressure
on it and its members.......................................... 35
H.R. 2646, To reauthorize the United States-Jordan Defense
Cooperation Act of 2015, and for other purposes................ 41
LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Representative in Congress
from the State of Florida, and chairman, Subcommittee on the
Middle East and North Africa: Material submitted for the record 47
APPENDIX
Markup notice.................................................... 56
Markup minutes................................................... 57
Markup summary................................................... 58
VARIOUS MEASURES
----------
THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:06 a.m., in
room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. The subcommittee will come to order. We
have members who are here and drinking some coffee in the side
room, so I am not starting without Ted. He is really here. And,
Mr. Connolly, I don't know if you have seen the current issue
of Time Magazine, but like President Trump, Mr. Connolly is the
cover boy for this week's edition and the headline is
``Connolly is Winning So Much He's Increasingly Tired of
Winning,'' correct? But congratulations. It is not everyone who
can be on the cover of Time.
But we meet today pursuant to notice----
Mr. Connolly. If I may?
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
Mr. Connolly. It tells you something about how literal-
minded some people can be, though. I have had people saying
congratulations, it is about time you get recognized, will you
sign the cover for me, you know. Oh, well. So thank you,
everybody.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Congratulations. I will have to bring in
my edition and you can sign it for me, as well. We will auction
it, give it to charity.
But we meet today pursuant to notice to mark up six
bipartisan measures. As your offices were previously notified,
it is the intent of the Chair to consider today's measures en
bloc, and so without objection, the following items, which were
provided to members earlier this week, are in your packet are
considered as read and will be considered en bloc.
House Resolution 185, Calling on the Government of Iran to
fulfill repeated promises of assistance in the case of Robert
Levinson, the longest held United States civilian in our
Nation's history; House Resolution 218, Recognizing the
importance of the United States-Israel economic relationship
and encouraging new areas of cooperation; Ros-Lehtinen
amendment in the nature of a substitute to House Resolution
218; House Resolution 274, Condemning the Government of Iran
state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its
continued violation of the International Covenants on Human
Rights; Ros-Lehtinen amendment 28 to House Resolution to 274;
House Resolution 317, Calling for the unconditional release of
United States citizens and legal permanent resident aliens
being held for political purposes by the Government of Iran;
Ros-Lehtinen amendment in the nature of a substitute to House
Resolution 317; House Resolution 359, Urging the European Union
to designate Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist
organization and increase pressure on it and its members; and
H.R. 2646, The United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation
Extension Act.
[The information referred to follows:]
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. After my remarks and the ranking member's
remarks on these measures, I will be glad to recognize any
other members seeking recognition. Without objection, all
members may have 5 days to submit statements for the record on
today's business.
Today, we have before us a series of important measures
that get to the heart of some of the subcommittee's top
priorities. Unfortunately, for the third straight Congress, we
are marking up yet another resolution presented by Ranking
Member Deutch on behalf of his constituent, Robert Levinson,
who went missing in Iran and is the longest held United States
citizen in our history.
While the Levinson family laments his absence, his life's
milestones continue without Bob. We dedicate our commitment to
bringing him home to his family and to continuing to press the
administration to demand the regime fulfill its promises. And
we do so in tandem with my resolution, House Resolution 317,
which calls upon Iran to release unconditionally all U.S.
citizens, U.S. legal permanent resident aliens, and foreign
nationals that the regime has unjustly detained and is holding
hostage.
Ever since Iran signed the JCPOA and received a ransom
payment in exchange for American hostages, it has sought to
take advantage of what it believed was a lucrative policy. It
was emboldened and has since imprisoned dual U.S.-Iranian
citizens: The Namazis, a father and son, who have been
separated from their family, sentenced to prison on unjust and
trumped-up charges and whose health and well-being are in
jeopardy.
The regime has imprisoned U.S. legal resident, Nizar Zakka,
and sentenced him to 10 years under false charges. Mr. Zakka
announced this week that he has begun a hunger strike. This
subcommittee has received an audio of Mr. Zakka where he
states, ``I am innocent. Never done any crime in my life.'' I
would like to ask unanimous consent to insert into the record a
transcript of the transcribed telephone conversation of Mr.
Zakka from Evin Prison in Iran.
[The information referred to follows:]
Material submitted for the record by the Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen,
a Representative in Congress from the State of Florida, and chairman,
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
----------
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. My resolution also calls on Iran to
fulfill its promises regarding Robert Levinson, Mr. Deutch's
constituent. This will be the third consecutive Congress that
Ted and I mark up a resolution on Iran's persecution of the
Baha'i, and we would like to recognize some of them are in the
audience today. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, over 200
Baha'i leaders have been executed. Many more have been
arbitrarily imprisoned. More than 10,000 have been dismissed
from government and university posts.
We are calling on the United States and others to use these
tools and all available authorities to sanction individuals
directly responsible for these serious human rights abuses, and
not just against the Baha'is.
We must be willing to do what is right and demand that Iran
release all hostages and hold the regime accountable for its
human rights abuses and for its illicit activities. That is why
we are also here to take up House Resolution 359, urging the
European Union to designate Hezbollah, in its entirety, as a
terrorist organization, and this is authored by Ranking Member
Deutch and Mr. Bilirakis. The notion that they could be
separate wings of a terrorist organization and that one wing is
bad, and full of terrorists, but the other wing is merely a
political organization; that is an absurd thought. There can be
no justification for such a bifurcation.
Iran is a state sponsor of terror, and Hezbollah is its
foremost proxy. The European Union needs to wake up, and we
must urge it and its member states to designate the whole of
Hezbollah as the terrorists that they are. Also a great tool to
combat Hezbollah's activities is to strengthen our relationship
with the democratic Jewish state of Israel, which is why we are
pleased to take up Ted Lieu's House Resolution 218--thank you,
Mr. Lieu--recognizing the importance of that economic
relationship and encouraging new areas of cooperation. Israel
was the first country we signed a free trade agreement with
over 30 years ago, and while the economic and commercial ties
remain strong, we can certainly find ways to upgrade and
improve those.
That is why Mr. Lieu's resolution is important, because it
stresses the support not only to expand our economic
relationship, but it also urges the President to explore new
agreements with Israel in the fields of cybersecurity,
technology, medicine, agriculture, water, and energy. We have
already seen this happening between Israel and Jordan,
especially in the fields of energy and water.
And that is one of the major goals of our final measure, a
bill I authored alongside Mr. Deutch, Hal Rogers, Nita Lowey,
and Adam Schiff, the United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation
Extension Act. I am glad to see that Congresswoman Kay Granger
of Texas has also cosponsored the bill. The Act would authorize
the U.S. to enter into a new 5-year memorandum of
understanding, MOU, with Jordan. The Kingdom has been on the
front lines in the fight against ISIS, and in the humanitarian
crisis, we must stand with our ally and continue to strengthen
its security capabilities.
This bill would also authorize the creation of a Jordanian
Enterprise Fund, which is precisely what Jordan needs to
attract private investment to help entrepreneurs and small
businesses create jobs and spur economic development in Jordan.
We are hopeful that we can tie some economic developments in
Jordan alongside its neighbors, including Israel, to spur
economic growth and bring these nations closer together to
create long-term stability.
So I urge my colleagues to support all of these measures,
and the Chair now recognizes the ranking member, Mr. Deutch,
for his statement.
Mr. Deutch. Thank you, Madam Chairman, I would like to
express my support for all of these measures before us today. I
am proud to be a cosponsor of each of them, and I thank the
chairman for moving this bipartisan slate of bills.
The U.S.-Jordan relationship is one that provides needed
stability throughout the region, and I am pleased to join the
chair in offering this legislation, which will further ensure
that Jordan has the resources she needs to defend herself and
to help shore up the Jordanian economy.
I would like to thank Mr. Lieu for his resolution
highlighting the U.S.-Israel economic partnership, the country
with the third most companies listed on the NASDAQ is Israel.
Israel has been a true incubator for innovation, just one of
the many reasons that the United States and Israel enjoy deep
cooperation on a wide range of issues.
I want to thank the chairman for bringing forward the
resolution I introduced with Mr. Bilirakis urging the EU to
designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. I thank the
many members of this committee who have cosponsored this
measure.
In 2013, the EU listed Hezbollah's military wing as a
terrorist organization. It has yet to include Hezbollah's
political wing. There is no distinction. This is one terrorist
organization, one that is wreaked havoc across the globe for
over 30 years, from the bombing of a Jewish center in Argentina
in 1994 to the bombing of a tourist bus in Bulgaria in 2012, to
its thousands and thousands of fighters doing Iran's dirty work
inside Syria, propping up the murderous Assad regime.
The so-called business affairs component of Hezbollah
brings in hundreds of millions of dollars a year through
narcotrafficking, money laundering, and counterfeiting
operations throughout Latin America, Africa, and Europe. I
applaud the cooperation that has taken place between law
enforcement agencies across Europe, and our own, to crack down
on these illicit activities, but we cannot continue to pretend
that any part of Hezbollah has any sort of legitimacy. I urge
our European friends to take action now and designate the whole
of Hezbollah as the terrorist organization that it is.
I would like to spend my remaining time talking about the
despicable human rights abuses taking place in Iran against the
Iranian people, and against foreign nationals. First, House
Resolution 274 condemns the horrific persecution of the Baha'i
faith in Iran.
For years, Baha'is have been subject to government raids on
their businesses, their schools, and their homes. They are
prevented from working in government jobs, from attending
colleges, and from worshipping. There are currently 93 Baha'is
in prison in Iran. Iran's persecution of the Baha'is and
another minorities is just another example of this brutal
regime's complete and total disregard for human rights and
international norms.
Second, House Resolution 317 calls for the immediate
release of all Americans held in Iran. For too long, this
regime has taken American and other foreign nationals prisoners
on trumped-up charges resulting in sham trials and outrageous
sentences. There is no rule of law. There is no due process.
This is nothing more than hostage taking, and it must stop.
This committee has a long history of speaking out against these
unjust attentions, and we will not sit idly by while Americans
languish in Iranian jails. And every responsible nation should
join us in condemning Iran and calling for the immediate
release of these Americans and other foreign nationals unjustly
held in Iran.
And, finally, I would like to thank the chairman and the
other cosponsors of House Resolution 185, which calls on Iran
to return my constituent, Bob Levinson. For those of you who
have served on this committee for a while now, you have heard
me tell Bob's story many times. You have heard me tell it to
three Secretaries of State, to U.N. Ambassadors, to State
Department officials. You have heard it while members of the
Levinson family sat before you in this very room. I will keep
telling Bob's story until Bob is home in South Florida with his
wife of over 40 years, Christine, with his seven children,
Susan, Stephanie, Sarah, Samantha, Dan, David, and Doug, his
sons and daughter-in-law and his seven grandchildren.
One of Bob's grandsons recently underwent treatment for
cancer. Thankfully his prognosis is good, but it makes me sick
to think that this family had to endure those months of
treatment without their husband, their father, and their
grandfather. Bob's eighth grandchild is due any day now.
On the 10th anniversary of Bob's disappearance back on
March 9th, I said that Bob should be home in time for the
birth, but here we are, 10 years, 3 months and 20 days from the
date Bob went missing in Iran. That is too long for any family
to go without their loved ones. Iran must return Bob now. If
this regime claims it doesn't have Bob, it knows who does. More
promises of assistance are too little too late. The time for
action is now.
Iran wants sanctions relief? Iran wants foreign investment?
Why would any responsible company do business in a country that
illegally kidnaps and detains foreigners? And I might ask, why
would any reasonable American company do business in a country
that kidnaps American citizens?
Bob Levinson is now the longest-held American hostage, but
I remain hopeful. I am hopeful that this administration will
continue to exert pressure on Iran. I am hopeful that we will
soon welcome Bob home to Coral Springs, Florida. I am hopeful
that Bob will be home to see the birth of his next grandchild.
Madam Chairman, you have been a heroic ally with me in this
effort. I thank you for being my partner. I thank you for
bringing forward all of these bipartisan measures today, and
for continuing to conduct this committee in such a strong
bipartisan manner. And I yield back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you so much, Mr. Deutch, and I am
sure the family is just so grateful for you being a fighter for
Bob all the time. Thank you, Ted.
Mr. Chabot of Ohio.
Mr. Chabot. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for holding
this hearing, this markup this morning. I first want to speak
briefly on H. Res. 185 by first commending you and also Mr.
Deutch for your relentless dedication to the case of Robert
Levinson, as my colleagues mentioned, the longest-held U.S.
civilian hostage in American history. And I would like to
associate myself with both of the remarks that you have made
this morning and not repeat everything.
I know that my colleagues will continue to press this
issue. The U.S. has consistently called for the safe return of
Mr. Levinson and requested Iranian assistance in the matter,
and the administration and our allies must continue to include
Mr. Levinson's disappearance in any future communications with
Iran. Iran has continued to make promises, yet no tangible
results. Unfortunately, it is probably not surprising, as we
are talking about Iran here.
I also rise in support of H. Res. 218, a resolution that I
cosponsored, aims to strengthen U.S.-Israel economic
relationship. A strong economic partnership is critical to
Israel, and it is also obviously in the United States'
bestinterests, as well. Israel continues to be one of our, if
not our strongest allies, on the globe, and we want to make
sure that that continues.
Furthermore, in light of Ambassador Haley's remarks, and
she, of course, was before the full committee as recently as
yesterday, regarding the U.N. Human Rights Council's targeted
assaults on Iran this legislation is particularly timely. As we
all know, Israel consistently seems to be the target, of all
things, the Human Rights Council in the U.N. They spend, it
seems, at least, half their time targeting Israel, criticizing
Israel. It is absolutely absurd. And then they will say nothing
about human rights abuses in Venezuela or Cuba or a whole range
of other pretty horrible places right now for human rights on
the globe.
Yet, Israel consistently is a target, so I think this is
very timely that we are passing this today. We have to show our
partners all around the world that we will continue to support
Israel in every possible way, and H. Res. 218 reaffirms that
position.
So I would urge my colleagues to support all of the
measures we have before us. I think they are all good, but I
wanted to particularly talk about those two. Thank you very
much. I yield back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you, Mr. Chabot. Thank you for your
words. And now we will turn to cover boy, Mr. Connolly.
Mr. Connolly. Thank you, Madam Chairman. And thank you for
bringing these bipartisan bills to us today. I am proud to
support all of them. I would ask unanimous consent that I be
added before we vote to as a cosponsor----
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Without objection, will do so.
Mr. Connolly [continuing]. H.R. 2646. Thank you. And I
particularly want to thank my friend and colleague, Ted Deutch,
for his passion and commitment to the Levinson family and for
the cause of Bob Levinson. Everything he said is absolutely
correct. No civilized nation can kidnap somebody visiting that
country with impunity, indefinitely, and with no cause. And
that is not the rule of law. That is not how civilized nations
behave. And we certainly hope Mr. Levinson can be rejoined with
his family at the earliest possible time.
Madam Chairman, I think it is also important, I was
listening to my friend, Mr. Chabot, and I agree with him about
the hypocrisy involving human rights in Israel and the Human
Rights Commission at the United Nations, but I think it is
important we have to be consistent. It would be nice if the
President of the United States would speak out about human
rights when he has the opportunity, an opportunity he did not
choose to use when he visited Saudi Arabia, an opportunity he
did not choose to use when he visited with the Russian foreign
minister, and one can go down the list. It is vital that we
speak with one voice and that we speak consistently in
upholding rule of law and universal human rights, whether it be
in Cuba, or Iran, or Venezuela.
And we need to speak with one voice, and, so, I would hope
the President would hear that message from Mr. Chabot and
myself and others. It is really important that it come from the
top if we really mean it, and if we are going to effectuate
change.
With that, Madam Chairman, I, again, thank you for bringing
these bills to us today. Happily I support all of them, and
thank you for your leadership. I yield back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you.
And our hero, Mr. Mast.
Mr. Mast. Thank you, Madam Chair. What an incredible series
of resolutions. I applaud this committee for their work on
them. They get directly to the heart of the most important
issues for this committee. We identify and work with our allies
like Jordan, with our friends like Israel. They seek to be the
light. We call out evil. We call out injustice in Iran,
Hezbollah where we see it. These resolutions, they vow truth. I
am proud to support them, proud of this committee for their
work on them, and I yield back. Thank you.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you, Mr. Mast.
Mr. Schneider was here. He is not here? Mr. Lieu.
Mr. Lieu. Thank you, Madam Chair and Ranking Member Deutch
for holding today's markup. I support all the legislation under
consideration today and am pleased that one of those measures
is a resolution I introduced with Congressman Ted Poe. I also
want to thank Congressman Chabot for his kind words today and
for being a coauthor of the resolution.
This legislation recognizes the incredible economic
partnership and relationship between the United States and
Israel, and encourages the administration to explore new areas
of cooperation in promising fields like energy, water
conservation, neurotechnology, and cybersecurity.
Today, two-way trade is $40 billion annually, and despite
representing only 2 percent of the population in the region,
Israel is the third largest importer of U.S. goods in the
region. And Israel, in fact, as mentioned before, has more
companies listed on the NASDAQ than any other country, except
the U.S. and China, and this is fueling amazing innovations in
companies from Silicon Beach in Los Angeles to Silicon Wadi in
Tel Aviv, and the partnership has even thrived at the State
level with over 30 U.S. States, including my home State of
California, signing agreements with Israel to deepen
cooperation on mutual areas of interest.
This revolution enjoys broad support in both the House and
Senate, and I hope we continue to move it through Congress to
send a strong bipartisan support for deepening U.S.-Israel
cooperation in a promising field of science and technology. And
with that, I yield back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you so much, Mr. Lieu. Mr.
Schneider of Illinois.
Mr. Schneider. Thank you, chairman, and I want to thank
Chairman Ros-Lehtinen and Ranking Member Deutch for holding
this markup today. I appreciate the timely consideration of
these bipartisan pieces of legislation that address key foreign
policy issues, and also wish to express my support for all of
them. One such issue is the terrorist organization, Hezbollah,
and its impact around the globe.
I was pleased to see that in 2013, the European Union
designated Hezbollah's military wing as a terrorist
organization. But this is simply not enough. That is why I am
proud to colead with my colleagues H. Res. 359, which is a
resolution that urges the EU to designate Hezbollah in its
entirety as a terrorist organization.
The resolution also expresses appreciation to the EU for
progress in countering Hezbollah activities since the 2013
designation, and urges the EU to increase pressure on the group
by freezing assets in Europe, prohibiting fundraising
activities, and improving cross-border cooperation between EU
members in combating Hezbollah.
I am also proud to cosponsor H. Res. 218, which highlights
the importance of the U.S.-Israel economic relationship, and
encourages continued cooperation in the fields of science and
technology.
The U.S. and Israel have a robust partnership when it comes
to innovation, and we have seen this manifested through the
creation and success of programs, such as the United States-
Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development
Foundation, U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation, and
the U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and
Development Foundation.
I look forward to the continued collaboration between our
two nations and the innovative creations this partnership will
deliver.
I am also proud to be a cosponsor and colead of House
Resolution 274, Condemning the Government of Iran's persecution
of its Baha'i minority and continued violations of human
rights.
While Iran is a diverse country and home to religious
minorities, including the Baha'is, as well a Jewish community
with roots that go back to thousands of years, the government's
autocratic rule in the name of a narrow interpretation of one
version of Islam denies freedom of religion to many of its
citizens, a liberty we value so deeply here in the United
States, and enshrine in the First Amendment of our
Constitution.
This persecution of Iranian members of the Baha'i faith,
which ranges from blatant discrimination in the educational and
employment spheres, to the brutality of imprisonment and
execution, cannot be tolerated. We must not forget that in
addition to Iran's flagrant testing of intercontinental
ballistic missiles, and outright support for terrorism that
threaten Israel and our other allies in the region, the Iranian
people also suffer at the hands of the regime.
The U.S. Baha'i House of Worship is headquartered in the
Chicago area, and I firmly stand with Baha'i community in the
U.S. and Iran in calling for an end to this horrific religious
persecution.
I would also like to join my colleagues in highlighting the
case of Robert Levinson, as has been noted, the longest-held
U.S. civilian in our Nation's history. No family should have to
go through what Mr. Levinson's family has gone through. I am
pleased to see this subcommittee take up House Resolution 185,
which calls on the Government of Iran to fulfill its repeated
promises to assist in this case of Robert Levinson, and I look
forward to him joining his family and welcoming his eighth
grandchild.
I would like to thank the subcommittee again for
considering these important and relevant bills, and with that,
I yield back.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you so much. Mr. Suozzi?
Mr. Suozzi. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. I want to thank
you and the ranking member for your excellent bipartisan
cooperation on all of these different issues, and I want to
make a special thank you to Ranking Member Deutch, for actually
reintroducing me to Mr. Levinson's sons recently. There are
seven children in the Levinson family, and it was 12 years ago
that Mr. Levinson's mother-in-law passed away, and on Long
Island I was there for the family wake, I was serving as the
county executive at the time, and we were reintroduced here in
the hallway, not long ago, by Mr. Deutch, and I want to thank
him so much for doing that. And I want to thank him for his
personal commitment to this family in trying to help relieve
the suffering that they are undergoing. And in each of these
different issues that we are addressing, everyone on this
committee is working together to try and relieve suffering in
different parts of the world, and this is really important
work, and it is wonderful that when everything in politics seem
so petty and small these days, that people can work together to
try and achieve some common good. So I am happy to support each
of these initiatives. Thank you so much.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you, sir. And we are glad to see
Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Zeldin with us, as well. And hearing no
further requests for recognition, the question occurs on the
items considered en bloc. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All
those opposed say no.
In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, and the
measures considered en bloc are agreed to. Without objection
the measures considered en bloc are ordered favorably reported
to the full committee as amended, and staff is directed to make
any technical and conforming changes.
That concludes our markup. The subcommittee stands
adjourned. And thank you ladies and gentlemen for being with
us.
[Whereupon, at 10:33 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
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