[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 26, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1422-E1423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008

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                               speech of

                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2007

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2764) making 
     appropriations for the Department of State, foreign 
     operations, and related programs for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2008, and for other purposes:

  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Foreign 
Affairs Appropriations bill passed last week, which included language 
authored by myself and Congressman Mark Kirk ordering the State 
Department to report to Congress on the feasibility of

[[Page E1423]]

restricting gasoline to Iran. Restricting refined gasoline to Iran is 
one way to pressure the regime to give up its efforts to develop 
nuclear weapons.
  Due to economic mismanagement by the Iranian government, this leading 
OPEC nation now heavily depends on refined gasoline from abroad to run 
its economy. One Dutch company, Vitol, is the main broker of Iranian 
gasoline imports and one British company, Lloyd's of London, insures 
most of the tankers transporting gasoline to Iran.
  I have long advocated for economic sanctions against Iran as part of 
an international diplomatic effort to halt the regime's pursuit of 
nuclear weapons in defiance of the United Nations. An international 
restriction on the supply of gasoline would serve as a critical 
diplomatic tool to deny Iran the ability to further its efforts to 
acquire nuclear weapons. Therefore, I strongly urge the State 
Department to advocate for a gasoline embargo on Iran as a sanction at 
the United Nations Security Council.

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