[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 192 (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IRAN THREAT REDUCTION ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 13, 2011

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1905, the Iran 
Threat Reduction Act.
  I thank Chairwoman Ros-Lehtinen and Ranking Member Berman for 
crafting this important, bipartisan bill. H.R. 1905 was reported out of 
the Foreign Affairs Committee by voice vote and comes to the floor with 
over 350 cosponsors--of which I am one.
  We must make it clear to Iran that any pursuit of a nuclear weapons 
program is unacceptable. This bill is designed to significantly 
strengthen the hand of the Obama Administration in applying economic 
pressure on the Iranian regime.
  Specifically, the bill targets Iran's petroleum sector by expanding 
the activities that could trigger sanctions to include making certain 
petroleum resource agreements with Iran. It also requires the 
President, subject to a national security waiver, to impose sanctions 
on entities doing business with the Central Bank of Iran if he 
determines the Central Bank is linked to the Iranian nuclear program. 
The measure also requires entities filing with the Securities and 
Exchange Commission to disclose business ties with Iran.
  By most accounts, the sanctions passed by Congress last year have 
ratcheted up pressure on the Iranian government. But Iran continues to 
increase its stockpile of enriched uranium. This measure is necessary 
to give the President the tools to penalize the Iranian regime for its 
continual refusal to heed the objections of the international 
community.
  I encourage my colleagues who have not already expressed support for 
H.R. 1905 to join me in support of the bill.

                          ____________________