[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 95 (Monday, June 15, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H4353-H4357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
URGING IRAN TO RELEASE ALL DETAINED UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND PROVIDE
ANY INFORMATION REGARDING UNITED STATES CITIZENS THAT HAVE DISAPPEARED
WITHIN ITS BORDERS
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 233) expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives that Iran should immediately release the three United
States citizens that it holds, as well as provide all known information
on any United States citizens that have disappeared within its borders.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 233
Whereas three United States citizens have been held captive
in Iran, some of them for multiple years;
Whereas one United States citizen disappeared in Iran over
eight years ago; and
Whereas Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has stated that
his government wishes to engage in a constructive interaction
with the world: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of
Representatives that Iran should release all detained United
States citizens immediately and provide any information it
possesses regarding any United States citizens that have
disappeared within its borders.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on this resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, today, we consider H. Res. 233, expressing the sense of
the House of Representatives that Iran should immediately release all
detained U.S. citizens as well as provide all known information on any
U.S. citizens who have disappeared within the borders of Iran.
As always, I appreciate the support of the ranking member, Mr. Engel
of New York, in bringing this resolution to the floor. I also want to
acknowledge the author of this measure, Congressman Kildee of Michigan,
as well as those Members who continue to stress how important it is
that this body speak out on this issue. These citizens need to be
allowed to come home now. They are U.S. citizens.
In particular, I want to thank Mr. Deutch, who is with us here today,
who is a senior member of our committee. He has been consistently
focused for many years on the case of his missing constituent.
Two weeks ago, the Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing at which
the family members of four Americans--three in prison and one missing
in Iran for 8 years--testified. This was the first time all four of the
families came together for such a hearing. We heard and saw the
excruciating pain that they are living with day in and day out, not
knowing if and when they will see their husband, their father, or their
brother again. Each of these tragic cases underscores the complete lack
of justice and, frankly, the brutal treatment that these Americans have
faced in Iran.
Jason Rezaian is a journalist who was born and raised in California.
He had hoped to use his position at The Washington Post to present a
greater understanding of the Iranian people. Instead, he has been
arrested on trumped-up charges and has been held for over 300 days at
the infamous Evin Prison. Last week, a second closed hearing in his
trial was held, which, like all other aspects of his case, was shrouded
in secrecy.
In September of 2012, Iran arrested and later sentenced Pastor Saeed
Abedini to 8 years in prison for gathering with others to study the
Bible, which, as his wife told the committee, is, in fact, a lawful
act, even under Iranian law, but one which the regime deemed a threat
to national security. In jail, his guards have attempted to coerce him
and torture him to get him to renounce his faith, telling him that
otherwise he will serve an even longer time.
In August of 2011, Amir Hekmati, who is a former United States
marine, was sentenced to death for alleged espionage. This is someone
who went to visit his grandparents. Upon appeal, his sentence was
reduced, by the way, to 10 years. As his sister described to the
committee, her family was told by Iranian officials not to go public
with Amir's imprisonment or he would be put in even greater danger.
Well, as she described to us through tears, despite
[[Page H4354]]
their silence, Amir suffered extensive and repeated torture: beaten on
his feet with cables and tasered repeatedly in the kidneys. At home,
his father is gravely ill. But locked up, Amir can't travel back to see
his father.
In 2007, Robert Levinson went missing on Iran's Kish Island. Eight
years later, Iran continues to refuse to assist the United States in
locating him. As his son testified, his father is now the longest held
hostage in American history.
Mr. Speaker, the House stands in solidarity with each of these
families. Our hearts break for them, and we share their anger and
frustration at the desperate position they are facing.
As we approach the deadline for negotiations on a nuclear agreement
with Iran--one that, no matter the terms, will require us to have at
least some trust in the regime--I have to ask the question: What do
these four cases say about the regime we are dealing with? If a
journalist can be suddenly imprisoned on bogus charges, what treatment
can international inspectors expect?
But more fundamentally, if top Iranian officials can't be counted on
to assist these wrongfully jailed American citizens, can they be
counted on to honor the commitments they make at the negotiating table?
This, by the way, is why verification is such an important part of an
agreement. But on the question of whether they can be counted on, call
me a skeptic.
I also have to ask why the administration, on the brink of striking a
deal in which we would give the Iranians tens of billions of dollars in
sanctions relief, is failing here.
The bottom line expressed in this resolution today is that these four
Americans must be allowed home now, and that is a sentiment that all of
us can support.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H. Res. 233, calling for the release of
Americans held or missing in Iran.
First of all, I want to associate my feelings with the remarks of our
chairman, Congressman Royce. I think he hit the nail right on the head
several times with his statement. I agree with every word he uttered.
It is just ludicrous that at a time where we are weeks away from
ostensibly completing an agreement with Iran, that our hostages--I
can't think of any other word for them--are being treated so shabbily
by the Iranian regime. As far as I am concerned, it casts a pall on any
potential agreement that we have with Iran on June 30. If this is the
way they are treating Americans, how can we rely on them or count on
them to fulfill their obligations under any agreement we sign with
them?
It is just ludicrous that here we are at the eleventh hour. You would
think the Iranian regime would want to start acting favorably so that
we in Congress might favorably look upon any deal that could be
reached. Instead, they are continuing their old ways and doing just the
opposite. It just doesn't make any sense. It doesn't help us to trust
them, it doesn't help us to believe them, and it only furthers all the
things that we have seen and heard and questioned about this rogue
regime in Tehran.
I want to thank Representative Kildee for authoring this resolution.
He has been a champion for these four Americans and their families. As
I said at our hearing, he has been unrelenting in terms of fighting for
his constituent and for the others who are held in Iranian prisons.
Representative Deutch, the ranking member of the Middle East and
North Africa Subcommittee, who also has a constituent who is a hostage,
has also been very vociferous. And Representative Huffman is always
talking to us about these issues and always looking to free all these
Americans in prison. Also Representative Labrador, and Representative
Kildee has assured that these Americans are not forgotten in Congress.
As was mentioned, 2 weeks ago, our committee heard from the Hekmati,
Rezaian, Levinson, and Abedini families. Their stories were
heartbreaking, their pleas heartfelt, and as they made clear in their
testimony, their cause is our cause. It is America's cause.
We are a few weeks away, as I said before, from an important deadline
in the Iranian nuclear talks. It is ridiculous that our citizens
languish in Iranian jails while we negotiate. At the same time, as the
families of the Americans point out, these negotiations have given us
the only opportunity to directly raise the cases of the four Americans
with the Iranian Government, and we are assured by the administration
that at every instance they raise these cases with the Iranian
Government.
I am happy they raise the cases. I am grateful that they raise these
cases. But, of course, if we don't get these people home, it is all for
naught. I cannot imagine having an agreement with Iran that doesn't
take into account these people, that doesn't release these people. It
would just be a dereliction of our duties and responsibility to have an
agreement with Iran while not bargaining or getting the freedom of
these people. We don't want these people used as a bargaining chip, but
on the other hand, we don't want these people to remain in jail after
there is some kind of an agreement with Iran.
I wish we knew more about the conditions of these four Americans, but
in these cases, Iran isn't playing by the rules once again. Typically,
if an American were detained in Iran, Switzerland, the U.S.
``protecting power'' in Iran, would have access to them for consular
services. It is not the case here.
In the cases of these three Iranian Americans, Iran doesn't even
acknowledge their dual citizenship--only their Iranian citizenship.
This position runs roughshod over long-established international law.
{time} 1630
Without consular access, we cannot judge the health and welfare of
our own American citizens. This is unacceptable. The United States
respects this access for Iranian citizens held here. Reciprocal
privileges are the least they could provide.
Sadly, Mr. Deutch's constituent--Robert Levinson's whereabouts are
unknown. I simply don't believe the Iranians have been forthcoming at
all about his status. If he is, indeed, still a hostage, he is now the
longest held hostage in American history. We shouldn't stand for this.
We shouldn't sit still while this continues.
I will weigh the nuclear deal carefully when it comes to us, but
Iran's leaders could send the American people a gesture of goodwill by
providing more information about Robert Levinson and by freeing Saeed
Abedini, Amir Hekmati, and Jason Rezaian.
By the way, Mr. Rezaian is the bureau chief, the Tehran bureau chief
of The Washington Post, unbelievable that he would be arrested for
espionage, ludicrous, ridiculous.
This is a concern all of us share. It doesn't matter where you come
from in this country or what your political affiliation is. These are
Americans, and we all want to see these four Americans come home safely
to their families.
I applaud this resolution, urge my colleagues to support it, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Engel has shared with you that the government in
Iran refuses to recognize the U.S. nationality for Jason Rezaian. Jason
was born in California. He was born a U.S. citizen here in the United
States, raised in California; and their position is that, no, he is an
Iranian citizen.
He was over there to see his grandmother. No, he was over there
reporting because he wanted to get an opportunity for greater
understanding of the citizens in Iran.
The fact that we allow a situation like this to stand, when American
citizens are being held like this and subjected to show trials, is
appalling.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Smith), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global
Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, and a
longtime critic of the human rights abuses that have occurred in Iran.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank our distinguished
chairman and thank both he and Eliot Engel for the leadership that they
have both shown.
Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for keeping that focus on all
issues related to Iran and for doing it so effectively, including and
especially the
[[Page H4355]]
human rights abuses that are occurring there each and every day.
Mr. Speaker, the most important duty of the President of the United
States is to keep Americans safe from harm, whether they are at home or
abroad. Three innocent Americans continue to be brutalized in Iran
prisons and trapped in a system of sham trials. A fourth American,
another innocent man, has been missing from Iran for more than 8 years
and presumed to also be imprisoned in that country.
When Americans have been hostages in foreign lands or on foreign
seas, Presidents from both parties have prioritized their rescue,
sometimes even asking the finest from our fighting forces to risk their
lives to save them.
It is an important question why the President has failed to make the
release of our fellow Americans his top priority with the Iranian
regime. How often have we heard the administration speak out, pressure
being put to bear on the Iranian regime, even as the talks continue on
the nuclear issue?
It seems to me I will never forget when Nagameh Abedini came and
testified at one of Frank Wolf's hearings. She said they told her there
was nothing they could do for her husband at the U.S. Department of
State.
Thankfully, a call to John Kerry by Mr. Wolf, chairman of the Lantos
committee at the time, did yield fruit; and they did begin to raise his
name and his calls.
The President seems to think, however, that the Iranian regime can be
trusted to keep a nuclear deal and no longer seek to develop and make
nuclear weapons. I would suggest that a regime that continues to
imprison our fellow citizens cannot be trusted.
A regime that so regularly and violently violates human rights and
basic freedoms of its own people cannot be trusted. A regime that
sponsors terrorism against other countries as a tool of foreign policy
cannot be trusted.
H. Res. 233 makes very clear that Iran should release all detained
U.S. citizens immediately and provide any information it possesses
regarding any United States citizens that have disappeared within its
borders.
Mr. Speaker, we must remember the husbands and fathers, sons and
daughters, the families, in addition to those who are being exploited
and cruelly mistreated.
I want to thank Chairman Royce for the hearing that he just convened
a few days ago. We heard from the family members. Their plea was
impassioned. It was heartbreaking, and it was very, very motivating.
Imprisoned since 2012, Pastor Abedini, 35 years old, husband of
Nagameh Abedini--who testified several times before my subcommittee and
has been an extraordinary champion for his release--father of two
children, he had returned to Iran to build an orphanage. He had gotten
prior clearance, told that he could do it. Once he was there, they
arrested him, and they have mistreated him ever since then.
Imprisoned since 2012, Amir Hekmati, 31 years old, a former sergeant
in the U.S. Marine Corps. He had returned to Iran to visit his
grandmother and other relatives. They scooped him up, and he has been
mistreated ever since.
Imprisoned since 2011, Jason Rezaian, 39 years old, Tehran's bureau
chief for The Washington Post, a reporter who publishes what is going
on in that regime, he now is facing a trial, a show trial, a sham
trial.
Imprisoned since 2014, Robert Levinson, 67 years old, husband,
father, grandfather, he has been missing in Iran since the year 2007.
Mr. Speaker, Pastor Abedini, Mr. Hekmati, Mr. Rezaian, and Mr.
Levinson are all Americans, and they are being, right today, subjected
to abuse and cruelty. They are all prisoners or missing in Iran.
We call on the administration to retriple its efforts to secure their
release.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to
the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), who has been the staunchest
supporter of getting these people free, who has raised this issue so
many times, and who is the author of this resolution.
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking Chairman Royce
for his efforts on this resolution and my friend Ranking Member Engel,
as well, for his efforts, along with the 201 Members of this body who
have cosponsored this, most particularly Mr. Deutch, Mr. Huffman, and
Mr. Labrador, who have worked with me and my staff in preparing this
resolution.
I want to speak briefly about Amir Hekmati, my constituent, a young
man who is an American citizen, born in the United States, raised in my
hometown of Flint, Michigan, served in the United States Marine Corps.
He is a brother; he is a son; he is a Michigander.
Back in 2011, for the first time, he traveled to Iran to visit his
grandmother, as has been said. He notified the Iranian Government that
he was going to Iran. He traveled under his own name. He disclosed his
history as a member of the United States Marine Corps.
He was in Iran for almost 3 weeks when he was apprehended. Initially
tried and convicted and sentenced to death for espionage, that sentence
was later set aside, but he continues to languish in Evin Prison,
serving a 10-year sentence.
I want the world to know about Amir. I want people to know his name,
just as we want the world to know the names of Jason Rezaian, Saeed
Abedini, and Bob Levinson. These are real people. Amir is a real
person. He grew up in my hometown of Flint, like me, played high school
hockey.
It is important that we remember these names. These are individuals.
They are not just pawns in a geopolitical struggle between Iran and the
rest of the world. They are individuals. They are people. They have
families. They feel pain. They suffer.
Amir Hekmati has been in Evin Prison for 1,386 days. It is long past
time for him to be reunited with his family. He has committed no crime;
yet he continues to sit in that prison, in a dark cell.
If Iran is serious about rejoining the community of nations, about
being a member of the international community, they will release--
immediately release--Amir Hekmati and the other Americans that they
hold.
That is why it is so important that this House pass this resolution
and speak for the American people with one voice. We have lots of
disagreements in this place.
There should be no question here in the United States, across the
world, but especially within the Iranian Government and among the
Iranian people, there should be no question that this body, this House
of Representatives, which often disagrees, has no disagreement on the
question of these Americans.
If Iran wants to be taken seriously, if anything they do, if any
engagement that they have with the world, whether it is a nuclear
agreement or economic engagement, if any of that is to be legitimate,
they cannot hold political prisoners; and they need to take action to
release Amir Hekmati and the other Americans that they hold.
Now, the fact that the P5+1 negotiations are underway does give us
space for something that we haven't had in 35 years, and that is
bilateral discussion on the sidelines of those nuclear agreements, but
while it does provide the moment, there is one point that I do want to
make, and others have spoken to this.
It is difficult to imagine taking any agreement with them seriously
as long as Iran holds these Americans, but it is also important that we
keep in mind that we never want to be in a position where, as part of a
transaction with Iran, we exchange the freedom of these Americans for a
concession at the nuclear negotiating table, a concession that may make
the world a less safe place.
We don't want that, and I know that Amir Hekmati, through his family,
has communicated to us that he does not want to be exchanged for
anything.
I think it is fair, as Members have said, that Congress considers all
of Iran's behavior when considering any engagement with them, whether
it is a nuclear agreement or anything else.
When I have spoken to the President and the Vice President or Wendy
Sherman or Samantha Power, our U.N. representative, I have made it
clear to them that, while it is important that we get our Americans
home, we don't want to see the world become a less safe place in
exchange for the freedom of innocent people. They have agreed
[[Page H4356]]
with that, and they have shared that with the Iranian Government at
every opportunity.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.
Mr. KILDEE. I thank my friend.
Simple point, Congress, today, will speak with one voice and say to
the Iranian people, say to the world, that these Americans--this
resolution will say, with absolute clarity, that if Iran expects to be
treated as a member of the international community, they will
unilaterally release these Americans.
It would advance their cause, presumably, of joining the global
community. It would send a strong message to the rest of the world and
to the United States and to this Congress that they can and should be
taken seriously, but it is very difficult to imagine doing that if they
continue to hold Amir Hekmati and the other Americans they hold.
I just want to reiterate my gratitude to Chairman Royce and Ranking
Member Engel and the whole committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee,
and the whole House for their support of this. The families of these
individuals, I know, appreciate it very deeply, and I do as well.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to
the gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman), a Member who has also been
fighting for his constituent, who has brought this issue up with us so
many times, who has been unyielding in trying to get freedom for all
the hostages.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I do want to start by thanking Chairman
Royce and Ranking Member Engel for moving this bill forward; and a huge
thanks to my great colleague from Michigan, Representative Kildee, he
has been described as tireless and courageous and relentless. He is all
of that and more in working to highlight the injustice that these
American detainees are facing in Iran.
{time} 1645
One of these detainees, Jason Rezaian, has been mentioned as having
grown up in California. He actually grew up in my district. I have
gotten to know his family. And in some way, I feel like I have gotten
to know Jason--at least a little bit--through this tragic situation. So
I know something about the terrible hardship that he and his family
have been going through for this past year.
It is with that unconscionable level of hardship in mind that I am
proud to join with my colleagues in working to make sure that Congress
does everything that it can to secure Jason's safe release and also the
safe release of these other unjustly detained Americans.
Passing this resolution on a bipartisan basis is one of the most
important things that we can do to reaffirm to the Iranian regime that
the whole world is watching.
Jason Rezaian was The Washington Post Tehran bureau chief when he was
arrested in Tehran on July 22 last year. He has now been held twice as
long as any previous western journalist in Iran.
The circumstances under which he has been held are an absolute
mockery of justice. There has never been any evidence brought against
him. For 9 months, there were no charges brought against him publicly.
Jason was denied the most basic rights: denied access to a lawyer for
months, denied bail after he was charged, and held in solitary
confinement after his investigation ended.
Jason's family members and his fellow journalists have been fierce
advocates for his freedom. I hope that the passage of this resolution
today will make the sentiment of Congress very clear: that Iran should
immediately release Jason Rezaian and the other detained Americans.
Whatever issues or disagreements that we may have about broader
issues involving Iran, it is important that we are able to speak today
with one voice for the Americans who are unjustly detained and for
their families. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is now my great pleasure to yield 2
minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), one of the senior
members of our Foreign Affairs Committee, the ranking member on the
Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, and someone whom I turn to
very often for advice and counsel, who has been a clear and effective
voice in trying to bring our hostages home.
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the ranking member, for
yielding. I thank the chairman. I especially went to thank my friend
and colleague from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) for spearheading this
resolution and for his tireless efforts to bring back his constituent.
And I want to thank the fellow original cosponsors, Mr. Huffman and Mr.
Labrador.
Each of us here has the solemn responsibility to represent the
families of these American citizens--in this case, our constituents who
are missing or held in Iran. Each of us has seen the suffering of these
families firsthand. We have also seen a remarkable strength of purpose
as they live this real-life nightmare and do everything they can to
bring their loved ones home.
For the family of Robert Levinson, my constituent, 8 years is 8 years
too long not to have their husband, their father, and their grandfather
home.
Bob Levinson went missing on Iran's Kish Island on March 9, 2007.
Since his disappearance, the Levinson family has received proof of life
in the form of pictures and videos. Iran's leaders have never provided
any information about Bob's disappearance, despite repeated pledges to
aid in the investigation.
As negotiations with Iran have taken place over the past year and a
half, many of us have doubts about the ability to trust Iran to follow
through on the terms of any nuclear deal. We distrust because we have
seen this regime time and again lie to the international community,
support the world's worst actors and terrorists, destabilize the
region, deny history, and chant ``death to America.'' So if Iran wants
to be taken seriously by the international community, then it must
start by dropping the bogus charges and releasing Amir Hekmati, Saeed
Abedini, and Jason Rezaian; and immediately assist in locating and
returning Bob Levinson.
Mr. Speaker, we are just weeks away from the June 30 deadline for a
nuclear deal. We are grateful that the Secretary and the other
negotiators have raised this issue inside meetings.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. ENGEL. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.
Mr. DEUTCH. But we have enormous leverage right now, and we must use
it for Jason Rezaian, for Saeed Abedini, for Amir Hekmati, and for my
constituent Bob Levinson.
If Iran wants the world to believe what it says at the negotiating
table, if it expects the world to trust any of the commitments that it
will make or promises to make in a nuclear deal, then it should send
these Americans home.
By passing this bipartisan resolution today, we will show the world
that this is an issue that transcends politics. We gather here today in
the United States House of Representatives, the people's House, to show
that Members of Congress and the American people are united in
demanding the safe return of these four Americans. Mr. Speaker, it is
time to bring them home.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I, again, urge my colleagues to
support this resolution at this critical time.
I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), for
his work on this.
We are in the final days of the nuclear negotiations, as has been
mentioned before, with Iran. And as the families of these Americans
point out, when these negotiations are over, if we do nothing, so too
may be the chance of the United States to engage directly with Iran
over the fate of their family members. So we must not let this
opportunity go to waste.
We call on Iran to release Amir Hekmati, Jason Rezaian, Saeed
Abedini, and Robert Levinson; to live up to their pledge to provide
further information about Robert Levinson; and
[[Page H4357]]
to bring these men home to their families.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As I have made clear before, I have serious reservations about the
direction of our negotiations with Iran, and this is based in no small
part on its treatment of the four Americans we are speaking about today
and what that predicts going forward.
Let's not forget, this is a regime--and we can turn on the set and
watch their rallies--where regularly the chant ``death to America'' is
used to rouse the most fervent supporters of the Supreme Leader. This
is a regime that has killed its own citizens outright or convicted and
imprisoned them based on confessions obtained by torture. This is a
regime that takes U.S. citizens into captivity, tortures them, and then
denies them medical treatment, denies them basic legal representation,
denies them due process.
Last month, just prior to Jason's so-called trial, Washington Post
editor Martin Baron issued a compelling statement, and I will read part
of it:
``It's worth recalling what kind of system we're dealing with. Jason
was arrested without charges. He was imprisoned in Iran's worst prison.
He was placed in isolation for many months and denied medical care he
needed. His case was assigned to a judge internationally notorious for
human rights violations. He could not select the lawyer of his
choosing. He was given only an hour and a half to meet with a lawyer
approved by the court. No evidence has ever been produced by
prosecutors or the court to support these absurd charges. The trial
date was only disclosed to Jason's lawyer last week. And now,
unsurprisingly but unforgivably, it turns out the trial will be
closed.''
Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow ourselves to lose sight of these facts.
Faced with this, those making the case that Iran will be transparent
with the international community on inspections that will be part of
any nuclear deal seem to be thinking about the Iran they want, not the
one in actuality, the one that is brutalizing Americans.
Nuclear deal or not, these Americans deserve to be back with their
families today.
I urge all Members to support this resolution.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 233.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________