[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 172 (Wednesday, October 25, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H8171-H8178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IRAN BALLISTIC MISSILES AND INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS ENFORCEMENT ACT
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 1698) to expand sanctions against Iran with respect
to the ballistic missile program of Iran, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1698
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Iran Ballistic Missiles and
International Sanctions Enforcement Act''.
SEC. 2. SANCTIONS RELATING TO EFFORTS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF
IRAN WITH RESPECT TO BALLISTIC MISSILE-RELATED
GOODS, SERVICES, AND TECHNOLOGIES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231
(2015)--
(A) calls upon Iran ``not to undertake any activity related
to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering
nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic
missile technology''; and
(B) requires member states to ``take the necessary measures
to prevent, except as decided otherwise by the UN Security
Council in advance on a case-by-case basis, the supply, sale,
or transfer of arms or related materiel from Iran''.
(2) The United States maintains bilateral sanctions against
Iran for its efforts to manufacture, acquire, possess,
develop, transport, transfer or use ballistic missiles or
ballistic missile launch technology, and its acquisition of
destabilizing types and amounts of conventional weapons.
(3) According to the 2016 Worldwide Threat Assessment, the
United States intelligence community judges ``that Tehran
would choose ballistic missiles as its preferred method of
delivering nuclear weapons, if it builds them. Iran's
ballistic missiles are inherently capable of delivering
[weapons of mass destruction], and Tehran already has the
largest inventory of ballistic missiles in the Middle East.
Iran's progress on space launch vehicles--along with its
desire to deter the United States and its allies--provides
Tehran with the means and motivation to develop longer-range
missiles, including ICBMs.''.
(4) Since the passage of United Nations Security Council
2231, Iran has conducted numerous tests of ballistic missiles
designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, and has
acquired destabilizing types of conventional weapons.
(5) Iran has pursued the ability to indigenously produce
ballistic missile and cruise missile goods, services, and
technologies.
(b) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United
States to prevent Iran from undertaking any activity related
to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering
nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic
missile technology.
(c) Report on Supply Chain of Iran's Ballistic Missile
Program.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report that contains
the following:
(A) An analysis of the foreign supply chain and domestic
supply chain in Iran that directly or indirectly
significantly facilitates, supports, or otherwise aids the
Government of Iran's ballistic missile program.
(B) A description of the geographic distribution of the
foreign and domestic supply chain described in subparagraph
(A).
(C) An assessment of the Government of Iran's ability to
indigenously manufacture or otherwise produce the goods,
services, or technology necessary to support its ballistic
missile program.
(D) An identification of foreign persons that have, based
on credible information, directly or indirectly facilitated
or supported the development of the Government of Iran's
ballistic missile program, including the foreign and domestic
supply chain described in subparagraph (A).
(E) A determination with respect to each foreign person
identified under subparagraph (D) as to whether the foreign
person meets the criteria for designation under--
(i) paragraph (1) of section 5(b) of the Iran Sanctions Act
of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note), as amended
by this section;
(ii) section 104 of the Countering America's Adversaries
Through Sanctions Act (Public Law 115-44); or
(iii) Executive Order 13382 (2005).
[[Page H8172]]
(2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified
annex.
(d) Sanctionable Activities With Respect to Weapons of Mass
Destruction.--Paragraph (1) of section 5(b) of the Iran
Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701
note) is amended--
(1) in the heading, by striking ``Exports, transfers, and
transshipments'' and inserting ``Weapons of mass destruction;
ballistic missiles; conventional weapons'';
(2) by striking ``Except as'' and inserting the following:
``(A) Weapons of mass destruction.--Except as'';
(3) by striking ``(A) on or after the date of the enactment
of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of
2012'' and inserting the following:
``(i)(I) on or after the date of the enactment of the Iran
Ballistic Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement
Act'';
(4) by striking ``(B) knew'' and inserting the following:
``(II) knew'';
(5) by striking ``(i) the export'' and inserting the
following:
``(aa) the export'';
(6) by striking ``would likely'' and inserting ``may'';
(7) by striking ``(ii) the export'' and inserting the
following:
``(bb) the export'';
(8) by striking ``(I) acquire'' and inserting the
following:
``(AA) acquire'';
(9) by striking ``; or'' at the end of subparagraph
(A)(ii)(II)(bb)(AA) (as so redesignated);
(10) by inserting after subparagraph (A)(ii)(II)(bb)(AA)
(as so redesignated) the following:
``(BB) acquire or develop ballistic missiles or ballistic
missile launch technologies; or'';
(11) by striking ``(II) acquire'' and inserting the
following:
``(CC) acquire'';
(12) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph
(A)(ii)(II)(bb)(CC) (as so redesignated) and inserting ``;
or''; and
(13) by adding at the end of subparagraph (A) the
following:
``(ii) knowingly exports or transfers, or permits or
otherwise facilitates the transshipment or re-export of,
goods, services, technology, or other items to Iran that
materially supports Iran's efforts to--
``(I) acquire or develop ballistic missiles or ballistic
missile launch technologies; or
``(II) acquire or develop destabilizing numbers and types
of advanced conventional weapons (as such term is defined in
paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1608 of the Iran-Iraq Arms
Non-Proliferation Act of 1992).''.
(e) Sanctionable Activities With Respect to Ballistic
Missiles.--Paragraph (1) of section 5(b) of the Iran
Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701
note), as amended by subsection (e), is further amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(B) Additional ballistic missile-related goods, services,
and technology.--
``(i) Additional authority.--The President shall impose the
sanctions described in paragraph (8), (10), or (12) of
section 6(a), as the case may be, with respect to--
``(I) an agency or instrumentality of the Government of
Iran if the President determines that the agency or
instrumentality, on or after the date of the enactment of
this subparagraph, knowingly seeks to develop, procure, or
acquire goods, services, or technology that materially
supports efforts by the Government of Iran with respect to
ballistic missile-related goods, services, and technologies
as described in clause (iii);
``(II) a foreign person or an agency or instrumentality of
a foreign state if the President determines that the person
or agency or instrumentality knowingly, on or after the date
of the enactment of this paragraph, provides significant
material support to the Government of Iran that supports
efforts by the Government of Iran with respect to ballistic
missile-related goods, services, and technologies as
described in clause (iii); and
``(III) a foreign person that the President determines
knowingly engages in a significant transaction or
transactions with, or provides significant financial services
for, a foreign person or an agency or instrumentality of a
foreign state described in subclause (I) or (II) with respect
to ballistic missile-related goods, services, and
technologies as described in clause (iii).
``(ii) Determination and report on ballistic missile
tests.--
``(I) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date on
which the President determines that the Government of Iran
has conducted a test of a ballistic missile that fails to
comply with, violates, or is in defiance of United Nations
Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015), the President shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
that identifies each senior official of the Government of
Iran that the President determines is responsible for
ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing the missile
test.
``(II) Matters to be included.--The report required by
subclause (I) should include available information on the
ballistic missile or the generic class of ballistic missile
or space rocket that was launched; the trajectory, duration,
range, and altitude of the missile flight; the duration,
range, and altitude of the flight of each stage of the
missile; the location of the launch point and impact point;
the payload; and other technical information that is
available.
``(III) Form.--The report required by subclause (I) shall
be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a
classified annex.
``(iii) Efforts by the government of iran with respect to
ballistic missile-related goods, services, and technologies
described.--
``(I) In general.--For purposes of subclauses (I), (II),
and (III) of clause (i), and except as provided in subclause
(II) of this clause, efforts by the Government of Iran with
respect to ballistic missile-related goods, services, and
technologies described in this subsection are efforts by the
Government of Iran to manufacture, acquire, possess, develop,
transport, transfer, test or use ballistic missiles or
associated goods, services, or technology by the Government
of Iran, including efforts by the Government of Iran to
manufacture, acquire, possess, develop, transport, transfer,
purchase--
``(aa) goods, services, or technology listed on the Missile
Technology Control Regime Equipment and Technology Annex of
October 8, 2015, and subsequent revisions that have been
acquired outside of the Procurement Working Group or not
otherwise approved by the United Nations Security Council; or
``(bb) goods, services, or technology not described in the
matter preceding item (aa) or item (aa) but which
nevertheless the President determines would be, if such
goods, services, or technology were United States goods,
services, or technology, prohibited for export to Iran
because of their potential to materially support the
development of ballistic missile systems or ballistic missile
launch technologies.
``(II) Exception.--Subclause (I) shall not apply with
respect to efforts by the Government of Iran with respect to
ballistic missile-related goods, services, and technologies
that have been approved under paragraph 4 of Annex B of
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).
``(iv) Procurement working group defined.--In clause
(iii)(I), the term `procurement working group' means the
Procurement Working Group of the Joint Commission established
under Annex IV of the applicable provisions in Annex A of
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).
``(v) Additional report on ballistic missile tests.--
``(I) In general.--Not later than January 31 of each
calendar year, the President should submit to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report that
specifies the number and generic class of ballistic missiles
and space rockets launched by Iran during the preceding
calendar year and the dates of each missile launch and the
type of missile launched on each relevant date. The report
should include definitions used for classifying the generic
classes of missiles.
``(II) Form.--The report required by subclause (I) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified
annex.''.
(f) Sanctionable Activities With Respect to Conventional
Weapons.--Paragraph (1) of section 5(b) of the Iran Sanctions
Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note), as
amended by subsections (e) and (f), is further amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(C) Conventional weapons.--The President shall impose the
sanctions described in paragraph (8) or (12) of section 6(a),
as the case may be, with respect to a foreign person or an
agency or instrumentality of a foreign state if the President
determines that the person or agency or instrumentality
knowingly, on or after the date of the enactment of this
paragraph, imports, exports, or re-exports to, into, or from
Iran, whether directly or indirectly, any significant arms or
related materiel prohibited under paragraph (5) or (6) of
Annex B of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231
(2015).''.
(g) Exception and Definitions.--Paragraph (1) of section
5(b) of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172;
50 U.S.C. 1701 note), as amended by subsections (e), (f), and
(g), is further amended by adding at the end the following:
``(D) Exception.--The President may not impose sanctions
under subparagraph (B) or (C) with respect to a foreign
person or a United States person if the President determines
that the person has exercised due diligence in establishing
and enforcing official policies, procedures, and controls to
ensure that the person does not sell, supply, or transfer to
or from Iran materials the sale, supply, or transfer of which
would subject a person to the imposition of sanctions under
subparagraph (B) or (C), as the case may be, or conduct or
facilitate a financial transaction for such a sale, supply,
or transfer.
``(E) Definitions.--In subparagraphs (B) and (C) of this
paragraph:
``(i) Agency or instrumentality.--The term `agency or
instrumentality' has the meaning given such term in section
1603(b) of title 28, United States Code.
``(ii) Foreign state.--The term `foreign state' has the
meaning given such term in section 1603(a) of title 28,
United States Code.
``(iii) Government of iran.--The term `Government of Iran'
has the meaning given such term in section 560.304 of title
31, Code of Federal Regulations, as such section was in
effect on January 1, 2016.
``(iv) Significant transaction or transactions; significant
financial services.--The terms `significant transaction or
transactions' and `significant financial services'
[[Page H8173]]
shall be determined in accordance with section 561.404 of
title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, as such section
561.404 was in effect on January 1, 2016.''.
(h) Sanctions Described.--Section 6(a) of the Iran
Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701
note) is amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (10) and inserting the following:
``(10) Inadmissibility to united states.--
``(A) In general.--The President may direct the Secretary
of State to deny a visa to, and the Secretary of Homeland
Security to exclude from the United States and, if the
individual has been issued a visa or other documentation,
revoke, in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality
Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) the visa or other documentation
of any alien that--
``(i) is designated pursuant to subparagraph (B) or (C) of
section 5(b)(1); or
``(ii) the President determines is a corporate officer or
principal of, or a shareholder with a controlling interest
in, a sanctioned person.
``(B) Exception to comply with united nations headquarters
agreement.--Sanctions under subparagraph (A) shall not apply
to an alien if admitting the alien into the United States is
necessary to permit the United States to comply with the
Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations,
signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into force
November 21, 1947, between the United Nations and the United
States, or other applicable international obligations.'';
(2) by redesignating paragraph (12) as paragraph (13); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (11) the following:
``(12) Export sanction.--In the case of an agency or
instrumentality of a foreign state, no item on the United
States Munitions List or Commerce Munitions List may be
exported to that foreign state for a period of two years.''.
(i) Rule of Construction.--The sanctions that are required
to be imposed under this section and the amendments made by
this section are in addition to other similar or related
sanctions that are required to be imposed under any other
provision of law.
(j) Implementation.--The President may exercise all
authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702
and 1704) to carry out any amendments made by this section.
(k) Implementation Plan.--Not later than 60 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall
transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a plan
to implement--
(1) paragraph (1) of section 5(b) of the Iran Sanctions Act
of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note), as amended
by this section; and
(2) section 104 of the Countering America's Adversaries
Through Sanctions Act (Public Law 115-44).
(l) Effective Date.--
(1) In general.--The amendments made by this section
shall--
(A) take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act;
and
(B) apply with respect to an activity described in
subsection (b) of section 5 of the Iran Sanctions Act of
1996, as amended by this section, that is commenced on or
after such date of enactment.
(2) Applicability to ongoing activities relating to certain
activities.--A person that, before the date of the enactment
of this Act, commenced an activity described in section 5(b)
of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, as in effect on the day
before such date of enactment, and continues the activity on
or after such date of enactment, shall be subject to the
provisions of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, as amended by
this Act.
SEC. 3. REPORT ON SANCTIONABLE ACTIVITIES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter for
a period not to exceed three years, the President shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
that contains the following information:
(1) Any credible information regarding Iran's attempts to
develop, procure, or acquire goods, services, or technology
with respect to which sanctions may be imposed pursuant to
subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 5(b)(1) of the Iran
Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701
note), as added by section 2 of this Act.
(2) Any credible information regarding Iran's acquisition
or attempted acquisition of significant arms and related
material in violation of paragraph 5 of Annex B of United
Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).
(3) Any credible information regarding Iran's export or
attempted export of significant arms and related material in
violation of paragraph 6 of Annex B of United Nations
Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).
(4) Any approval granted by the United Nations Security
Council for the export of significant arms and related
material identified under paragraphs 5 or 6 of Annex B of
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).
(5) Any credible information regarding violations of travel
restrictions described in paragraph 6 of Annex B of United
Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).
(6) Any approval granted by the United Nations Security
Council for exemptions to the travel restrictions described
in paragraph 6 of Annex B of United Nations Security Council
Resolution 2231 (2015).
(b) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified
annex.
SEC. 4. DETERMINATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE IMPOSITION OF
SANCTIONS FOR THE SALE OR TRANSFER OF
DESTABILIZING TYPES AND AMOUNTS OF CONVENTIONAL
WEAPONS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN.
(a) Notification of Sales and Transfers.--Not later than 90
days after the date on which the President receives credible
information that destabilizing numbers and types of
conventional weapons have been sold or transferred to Iran,
the President shall notify the appropriate congressional
committees of the sale or transfer.
(b) Determinations With Respect to Sanctions.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date on
which the President notifies the appropriate congressional
committees of a sale or transfer under subsection (a), the
President shall--
(A) determine whether such sale or transfer meets the
requirements to impose sanctions under each provision of law
specified in subsection (c); and
(B)(i) if the determination is that the sale or transfer is
subject to any such sanctions, the President shall--
(I) make a determination whether to impose or waive such
sanctions with respect to such sale or transfer; and
(II) submit that determination to the appropriate
congressional committees; or
(ii) if the determination is that the sale or transfer is
not subject to any such sanctions, the President shall submit
to the appropriate congressional committees a detailed report
on the determination and the specific reasons for the
determination.
(2) Form.--The determination in paragraph (1) shall be
provided in an unclassified form, and may contain a
classified annex.
(c) Provisions of Law Specified.--The provisions of law
specified in this subsection are the following:
(1) Section 5(b)(1) of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (50
U.S.C. 1701 note), as amended by section 2 of this Act.
(2) The Iran-Iraq Arms Non-Proliferation Act of 1992 (50
U.S.C. 1701 note).
(3) The Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act
(50 U.S.C. 1701 note).
(d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``destabilizing
numbers and types of advanced conventional weapons''--
(1) has the meaning given the terms ``advanced conventional
weapons'' and ``cruise missile'' as defined in paragraphs (1)
and (2), respectively, of section 1608 of the Iran-Iraq Arms
Non-Proliferation Act of 1992 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note); and
(2) includes the S-300 and S-400 missile defense systems
and air superiority fighters.
SEC. 5. DETERMINATION ON USE BY THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN OF
COMMERCIAL PASSENGER AIRCRAFT AND RELATED
SERVICES FOR ILLICIT MILITARY OR OTHER
ACTIVITIES.
(a) Determination.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter
for three years, the President shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a determination on use
by the Government of Iran of commercial passenger aircraft
and related services for illicit military or other activities
on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Elements of Determination.--The determination required
under subsection (a) shall include a description of the
extent to which--
(1) commercial passenger aircraft in Iran are being used to
transport--
(A) arms or related materiel, including defense articles,
defense services, or technical data that are controlled on
the United States Munitions List established under section 38
of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778);
(B) any item that is, or would be, if located in the United
States, controlled by Export Control Classification Number
600 series listed on the Commerce Control List maintained
under Supplement No. 1 to part 774 of the Export
Administration Regulations;
(C) items used to facilitate the development or production
of a chemical or biological weapon or other weapon of mass
destruction and their means of delivery, including ballistic
missiles and cruise missiles; or
(D) any foreign person that facilitates the transfer of any
of the articles described in subparagraphs (A) through (C);
(2) commercial passenger aircraft licensed by the Office of
Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury are
being used for activities described in paragraph (1); and
(3) foreign governments and persons have facilitated the
activities described in paragraph (1), including allowing the
use of airports, services, or other resources.
(c) Form of Determination.--The determination required
under subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form
but may include a classified annex.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Commercial passenger aircraft.--The term ``commercial
passenger aircraft'' includes--
(A) an aircraft of United States origin and that is
classified under Export Control Classification Number (ECCN)
9A99l on the Commerce Control List maintained under
Supplement No. 1 to part 774 of the Export Administration
Regulations; or
[[Page H8174]]
(B) an aircraft not of United States origin of which United
States-controlled content constitutes 10 percent or more of
the total value of the aircraft and that is--
(i) classified under Export Control Classification Number
(ECCN) 9A99l on the Commerce Control List maintained under
Supplement No. 1 to part 774 of the Export Administration
Regulations; and
(ii) is registered in a jurisdiction other than the United
States.
(2) Export administration regulations.--The term ``Export
Administration Regulations'' means subchapter C of chapter
VII of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations.
(3) Related services.--The term ``related services'', with
respect to a commercial passenger aircraft, includes--
(A) the export, re-export, sale, lease, or transfer to Iran
of spare parts and components; and
(B) warranty, maintenance, and repair services.
SEC. 6. REGULATORY AUTHORITY.
(a) In General.--The President shall, not later than 120
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, promulgate
regulations as necessary for the implementation of this Act
and the amendments made by this Act.
(b) Notification to Congress.--Not less than 10 days before
the promulgation of regulations under subsection (a), the
President shall notify the appropriate congressional
committees of the proposed regulations and the provisions of
this Act and the amendments made by this Act that the
regulations are implementing.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Ways
and Means, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee
on Appropriations, the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of
the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Finance, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Select
Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
(2) Credible information.--The term ``credible
information'' has the meaning given such term in section 14
of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50
U.S.C. 1701 note).
(3) Government of iran.--The term ``Government of Iran''
has the meaning given such term in section 560.304 of title
31, Code of Federal Regulations, as such section was in
effect on January 1, 2016.
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 of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and to include any extraneous material.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, today the House of Representatives here considers four
measures that we have worked on in a bipartisan way, four measures that
are consistent with the President's call for an approach to Iran that
addresses the full range of threats that it possesses to not just the
United States, but to our allies, to our partners as well.
This legislation, which I have authored along with my colleague,
Eliot Engel, I am proud to say we now have 323 cosponsors to this bill.
This is the bipartisan Iran Ballistic Missiles and International
Sanctions Enforcement Act.
What this does is respond to the regime's continued pursuit of
intercontinental ballistic missiles and to dangerous conventional
weapons.
Mr. Speaker, I will begin by thanking my good friend, Mr. Engel, for
his hard work, his collaboration, along with Mr. Steny Hoyer and Mr.
McCarthy, in bringing this important legislation to this floor.
Iran has already developed an arsenal of short- and medium-range
ballistic missiles, and those missiles put our allies, our partners, as
well as U.S. forces in range.
Now Iran is working on intercontinental ballistic missiles. I think
to get the point across, I would just quote our former Secretary of
Defense, Ash Carter, because he testified before Congress on this
issue. What he conveyed to us is: `` . . . the I in ICBM stands for
intercontinental, which means having the capability from flying from
Iran to the United States, and we don't want that.''
That was the way he explained this.
One of the reasons that we don't want that is that intercontinental
ballistic missiles are inherently capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
In fact, as one expert told the Foreign Affairs Committee, ``no country
that has not aspired to possess nuclear weapons has ever opted to
sustain'' a lengthy and expensive missile program.
I would take issue with that. I do know of one exception to that
rule. That exception was South Africa under the apartheid regime, which
did develop the atomic weapon. It is an example of how sanctions can be
successful, because when we passed sanctions here, the consequence was
they made a decision to turn that weapon back over to the IAEA, as well
as to allow Nelson Mandela to leave jail, and they held elections. That
is the exception I know of.
So whether you supported the nuclear deal or whether you opposed that
nuclear deal, this other issue should concern you either way. By
developing the delivery system, Iran is keeping its options open.
So from those who worked on the deal, one of the architects, Jake
Sullivan of the former administration, made it clear to us--and this
was 2 weeks ago--that imposing costs on Iran for its continued pursuit
of ballistic missiles and other destabilizing activity is ``not only
necessary, but justified.''
That is one of the architects of the agreement itself.
That is what this bill does. It requires a comprehensive
investigation to identify and designate the companies, the banks, the
individuals inside and outside of Iran which supply the regime's
missiles and supply their conventional weapons programs, and it
sanctions them. In doing so, it shuts out Iranian and foreign companies
involved in Iran's missile program. It also shuts out the banks that
back them. It shuts them out from the global financial system.
This bill expands Iran sanctions that we passed and were signed into
law in August with H.R. 3364, the Countering America's Adversaries
Through Sanctions Act.
For example, while the bill that passed over the summer specifically
sanctions those who materially contribute to Iran's ballistic missile
program, the bill before us today goes a step further by sanctioning
those that are in the business of financing Iran's efforts.
The conventional weapons prohibition in the bill before us are also
stronger, and let me explain why. The August legislation referenced the
United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, which excludes such items
as Russia's recent sale of the S-300 air defense system to Iran. The
bill before us ensures that there is no such carve-out.
Mr. Speaker, Members have different views on how to handle Iran's
nuclear program, but when it comes to Iran's ballistic missile and
conventional weapons programs, all 323 cosponsors of this bill agree:
Iran has no business developing or acquiring intercontinental ballistic
missiles. That is why it is so important that we pass this bill and
give the administration the tools to respond.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Ways and Means,
Washington, DC, October 23, 2017.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Royce: I am writing with respect to H.R.
1698, the ``Iran Ballistic Missiles and International
Sanctions Enforcement Act,'' on which the Committee on Ways
and Means was granted an additional referral.
As a result of your having consulted with us on provisions
in H.R. 1698 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the
Committee on Ways and Means, I agree to waive formal
consideration of this bill so that it may move expeditiously
to the floor. The Committee on Ways and Means takes this
action with the mutual understanding that we do not waive any
jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or
similar legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately
consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation
moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues
that fall within our jurisdiction. The Committee also
reserves the right to seek appointment of an
[[Page H8175]]
appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate
conference involving this or similar legislation, and
requests your support for such request.
Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter
confirming this understanding, and would ask that a copy of
our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of H.R. 1698.
Sincerely,
Kevin Brady,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, October 23, 2017.
Hon. Kevin Brady,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Brady: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 1698, the Iran Ballistic
Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement Act, so that
the bill may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I
would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any
House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 1698 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Financial Services,
Washington, DC, October 20, 2017.
Hon. Ed Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Royce: I am writing concerning H.R. 1698,
the Iran Ballistic Missiles and International Sanctions
Enforcement Act, as amended.
As a result of your having consulted with the Committee on
Financial Services concerning provisions in the bill that
fall within our Rule X jurisdiction, I agree to forgo action
on the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House
Floor. The Committee on Financial Services takes this action
with our mutual understanding that, by foregoing
consideration of H.R. 1698, as amended, at this time, we do
not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained
in this or similar legislation, and that our Committee will
be appropriately consulted and involved as this or similar
legislation moves forward so that we may address any
remaining issues that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction.
Our Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of
an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate
conference involving this or similar legislation, and
requests your support for any such request.
Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter
confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 1698 and
would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this
matter be included in the Committee Report and the
Congressional Record during floor consideration thereof.
Sincerely,
Jeb Hensarling,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, October 23, 2017.
Hon. Jeb Hensarling,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Hensarling: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 1698, the Iran Ballistic
Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement Act, so that
the bill may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I
would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any
House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 1698 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, October 23, 2017.
Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Goodlatte: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 1698, the Iran Ballistic
Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement Act, so that
the bill may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I
would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any
House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 1698 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform,
Washington, DC, October 24, 2017.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of
Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 1698, the ``Iran
Ballistic Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement
Act.'' This bill would expand sanctions against Iran with
respect to the ballistic missile program of Iran and contains
provisions within the jurisdiction of the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform. As a result of your having
consulted with me concerning the provisions of the bill that
fall within our Rule X jurisdiction, I agree to forgo
consideration of the bill so the bill may proceed
expeditiously to the House floor.
The Committee takes this action with our mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 1698 at
this time we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject
matter contained in this or similar legislation, and we will
be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or
similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any
remaining issues that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction.
Further, I request your support for the appointment of
conferees from the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform during any House-Senate conference convened on this or
related legislation.
Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter
confirming this understanding and ask that a copy of our
exchange of letters on this matter be included in the bill
report filed by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, as well as
in the Congressional Record during floor consideration
thereof.
Sincerely,
Trey Gowdy.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, October 23, 2017.
Hon. Trey Gowdy,
Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Gowdy: Thank you for consulting with the
Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from
further consideration of H.R. 1698, the Iran Ballistic
Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement Act, so that
the bill may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of
your committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives
on this resolution or similar legislation in the future. I
would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any
House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 1698 into the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill.
I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and
look forward to continuing to work together as this measure
moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.
Let me thank our chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, my
friend, Ed Royce from California, for his work moving this bill. I was
pleased to join him as the lead Democratic cosponsor when we introduced
this bill in March of this year.
I stand by his entire statement that he has just made. We have an
absolute meeting of the minds on this bill, and that is why we were
able to get 323 cosponsors on both sides of the aisle, because people
understand and realize the threat that Iran poses to us, to the world,
and to our allies.
The Foreign Affairs Committee has been hard at work this year
devising new tools and approaches for dealing with the threat of Iran.
There is no doubt that Iran must be one of our major priorities in our
foreign policy, the world's most prolific state sponsor of terrorism, a
serial abuser of human rights, a lifeline for the murderous
[[Page H8176]]
Assad regime in Syria, and the challenge we are dealing with today:
Iran's illicit development of ballistic missiles.
The chairman and I share the view that when it comes to the nuclear
deal, which we both opposed, the best path forward is to enforce the
hell out of it even while we work to hold Iran's feet to the fire on
all these other harmful activities.
We passed a tough sanctions bill last summer to crack down on Iran,
as well as North Korea and Russia. While the bill before us today
basically contains very similar provisions which we dealt with then
and, as the chairman explained, we go one step further here, I am
always eager to find even more ways to dial up pressure on the regime
in Tehran, which is a malevolent regime, which is a regime that
sponsors terrorism, which is a regime that is hostile to the United
States, hostile to our ally Israel, and hostile to our other allies in
the Middle East. But I worry that the administration isn't taking this
problem seriously.
So far, the White House hasn't fully implemented the previous bill we
sent to the President. The White House's approach to the nuclear deal
sends a bad message to allies and adversaries around the world that the
United States might not live up to its word. Rather than extracting
more concessions with Iran, which I believe may be possible by working
hard to build a strong multilateral coalition, the course of this may
instead push Iran to leave the deal and resume work on a bomb. We can
never allow that to happen.
So I am happy that we keep passing the sanctions bills, but Congress'
role can only go so far. It is up to the administration to lay out its
goals, devise a strategy, and implement the tough sanctions Congress
has passed. It is more than 60 days since we passed the sanctions bill,
and the President has not implemented it. According to the bill, which
the President signed, it was supposed to be implemented within 60 days,
so it sends a mixed message.
Talking tough is not enough. Congress sends a bill to the White
House, the President signs it, it really should be implemented. So I
want to urge the President and the administration to listen to this
Congress in a bipartisan way. We passed this bill. It needs to be
implemented, and it needs to be passed and implemented again.
In the meantime, I am happy to support this bill. I think this shows
that we need to work together when it comes to Iran in a bipartisan way
to show that there is really not a shred of difference, that we will
not stand for Iran's aggression, we will not stand for the mullahs
threatening us, we will not stand for Iran stomping on its own people.
Mr. Speaker, I again thank the chairman for his leadership on this
issue. I urge my friends on both sides of the aisle to support it, and
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), chairman of the Committee on
Homeland Security. He is a former Federal prosecutor and a senior
member of our Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, let me first commend Chairman Royce and
Ranking Member Eliot Engel for their strong bipartisan work on this
very important legislation that sanctions Iran's ballistic missile
program and the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah.
Over the last several decades, the tyrannical regime in Iran has been
racing to develop a nuclear weapons program that could threaten the
United States and our allies and potentially spark an arms race in the
Middle East.
Unfortunately, the extremely flawed JCPOA kept parts of Iran's
nuclear infrastructure in place and strengthened the regime's leader
with a windfall of cash. Because this toothless deal failed to address
Iran's other malign activities, such as support for terror and their
intercontinental ballistic missile program, we must now find other ways
to apply new pressure.
Fortunately, the House is taking action today. One of the bills we
are considering will require the President to impose additional
sanctions on enemies and individuals supporting Iran's development of
ballistic missiles. I sincerely hope that we can soon add even more
pressure on Iran by designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
as a foreign terrorist organization, legislation I pursued in the last
two Congresses.
Going after state sponsors is an important part of winning this
fight, but we must fight also directly individual terror groups to
limit the resources to prevent future attacks. That is why I am pleased
that we also are considering measures to target Hezbollah.
This package would direct the President to impose new sanctions on
financial institutions and foreign governments that support Hezbollah
and affiliated organizations, as well as individual members of the
terror groups, that they have used civilians as human shields.
{time} 1445
I will say it is Hezbollah that killed so many of our marines in
Beirut, Lebanon, let us not forget.
The chairman and ranking member and I recently visited Israel, Prime
Minister Netanyahu, who described the Shia Crescent of Iran going into
Iraq, into Syria, into Lebanon. He talked to us about the manufacturing
plant in Lebanon manufacturing rockets pointed straight at the State of
Israel.
These bills, I believe, will take us steps closer toward ridding the
world of this terrible threat posed by Islamic terror.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and ranking member.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the esteemed majority leader
of the House.
Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to
me. I want to thank the gentleman for his work as chairman of the
Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mr. Speaker, I stand on this floor thinking of the world and
America's place in it. What I desire most is peace. America has no
desire to fight those who do not harm us. I would gladly support any
international agreement that I thought would bring us to an honorable
and enduring peace.
But peace is not based on hope; it is not based on good intentions;
and it is not based on pieces of paper signed at well-planned
ceremonies. Peace is based on strength. America and our allies will
only be at peace if those who hate us fear us. This is where our
credibility matters.
When an American President agrees to a deal that is so obviously
unequal and untenable, everyone stops fearing us. They start to think
they can push us around.
Let me be clear. They may start to push, but no one can knock us
down. America will win any fight. Our enemies should know that. But,
frankly, I want our enemies to be so afraid of us they don't even want
to fight. That saves everyone a great deal of trouble.
When I look back to our nuclear deal with North Korea and our deal
with Iran, they aren't just flawed; they are dangerous. The displays of
weakness have consequences beyond nuclear weapons.
Our North Korea deal has failed. The Kim regime will soon have
nuclear warheads on intercontinental ballistic missiles. These warheads
will be capable of hitting our homeland. In the meantime, they have
reportedly fired missiles over our allies South Korea and Japan and,
almost daily, threatened war.
The deal with Iran is on a path to failure, designed in such a way
that, even if it were followed, a regime that chants ``death to
America''--let me say that again, a regime that chants ``death to
America''--could have nuclear weapons the day after the deal expires.
Even ignoring the deal, Iran continues to destabilize the region for
its own goal, funding terrorism abroad and fueling violence between
Shia and Sunni Muslims that is tearing the Middle East apart.
The spread of nuclear weapons is a danger in and of itself. I do not
need to explain why enemies of the United States should be stopped from
gaining the power to level American cities, but the evil is made worse
when our enemies, with any weapons, think they can push America and our
allies around.
America will not be weak any longer. Today's sanction on Iran
undermines its ballistic missile program and the terrorist warriors of
Hezbollah whose pockets are filled with Iranian money,
[[Page H8177]]
just as their hands are covered with American blood. This is an
important part of our Nation's new Iran strategy.
Yesterday, we passed the most far-reaching sanctions we have ever
imposed on North Korea. Those who do business with North Korea support
a regime run on slave labor. They support a regime that deprives its
citizens of every freedom, even the freedom to think, and they support
a regime that tortured and murdered American citizen Otto Warmbier not
because he committed a crime or threatened their government in any way,
but because he was an American. If you do business with such a regime,
there will be severe consequences.
I had the honor of meeting Otto's parents, Cindy and Fred. They told
me about Otto's warmth, his joy, his love of life, and the great hopes
he had. In everything, he stood as a living example of the good in
humanity that the Kim regime seeks to destroy. We renamed that
legislation as the Otto Warmbier North Korea Nuclear Sanctions Act. It
won't bring him back, but it will remind North Korea that evil has
consequences.
Otto's murder was a crime we cannot accept, but it is a crime, I
fear, our enemies would repeat on a much larger scale if we do not
start stopping them now. Let's remind them who they are up against.
America will not fail.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), who chairs the Foreign
Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, and she is
the author of multiple laws addressing the Iranian threat.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce for authoring
this bill alongside our good friend Ranking Member Eliot Engel, the
dynamic duo of Foreign Affairs. I want to thank them for their
leadership and their continued effort in holding Iran accountable.
Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill is called the Iran Ballistic
Missile and International Sanctions Enforcement Act, authored by our
chairman and ranking member. It is a strong and important bill. It
sanctions Iranian and foreign persons and entities that support, that
facilitate, that finance Iran's ballistic missile program. It is a
necessary measure because, as we know, Iran has felt emboldened to
continue advancing its missile program since the P5+1 and Iran
concluded the weak nuclear deal.
Tehran has taken advantage of this deal and the U.N. Security Council
resolution that endorsed the agreement. Despite language that prohibits
Iran's ballistic missile testing in U.N. Resolution 2231, Iran has
actually increased its missile activities, violating both the spirit
and the letter of the resolution.
With the President having made his determination 2 weeks ago that
Iran is not in compliance with its commitments under the Iran Nuclear
Agreement Review Act, we now have an opportunity to address the
weakness in the nuclear deal and also Iran's illicit activity.
We must continue to press forward on a dual track. We must continue
to hold Iran accountable for its nonnuclear illicit activity, while
also looking to address our concerns with the nuclear deal. They are
not mutually exclusive, Mr. Speaker. Both are extremely important for
our national security. This is an important step.
I thank the Members for their great leadership. I support passage of
Chairman Royce and Eliot Engel's measure.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe). He is the chairman of the Foreign
Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for this
legislation.
Mr. Speaker, Iran continues to be one of the two greatest threats to
the United States' national security and to global security. The other,
of course, is North Korea.
It has become very clear that the Iranian deal has not moderated the
regime. Regardless of where people are on whether we should have signed
it or not signed it, it hasn't stopped the aggressive activity and
belief of the regime.
I believe that they are still developing or trying to develop nuclear
weapons. No one denies that Iran is actively working toward developing
a delivery capability for a nuclear payload. Iran's ballistic missile
program is going to be and already is a menace not only to the United
States, but to Europe and other parts of the world.
Iran is working with North Korea to develop intercontinental
ballistic missiles capable of reaching our shores. These two nations
engage in their activity and belief in hate--hate--of freedom to
destroy the United States and our some of our allies. We should
understand that this is a reality and the threat is now. We should deal
with both of those countries accordingly, not in 10 years.
This legislation, Mr. Royce's Iran Ballistic Missiles and
International Sanctions Enforcement Act, is very crucial.
We must hold the Ayatollah accountable for threatening the global
security and our security.
We must hold the Ayatollah and the IRGC and Hezbollah accountable for
the people that have been murdered throughout the world because of
their response to hate, their hating of all peoples who don't agree
with them.
We must target the entire global supply chain of Iran's ballistic
missile program. I believe the Ayatollah, Mr. Speaker, when he tells
us, on a periodic basis, ``Death to America.'' I believe him when he
says that. That is their foreign policy to the United States: ``Death
to America.'' Americans should believe this.
Mr. Speaker, we must make sure that he does not have the capability
to achieve a delivery system of his nuclear weapons, and I urge voting
in favor of H.R. 1698.
Mr. Speaker, I also do want to mention another bill that I think is
important that we pass today, Mr. Deutch's H.R. 359.
In 2013, the European Union finally came around to designating
Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, but for reasons that make
absolutely no sense to me, the Europeans only designated Hezbollah's
military wing, not the political wing. By distinguishing between a
terrorist group's so-called military and political wings, it seems like
we have legitimized this group's deadly behavior.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30
seconds to the gentleman.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Hezbollah is a terrorist organization,
and wherever you look in the Middle East and you find trouble, you will
find the IRGC and Hezbollah working together. These two agencies from
Iran are the gestapo actors for the Iranian Ayatollah, and it is time
that we hold them accountable for what they are doing. We must pass
these pieces of legislation, and this will go a long way in doing that.
And that is just the way it is.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as we have shown again and again, and you can tell with
all the comments that were made here, there is support on both sides of
the aisle for holding Iran accountable for its dangerous behavior.
While today's bill is similar to the bipartisan sanctions Congress
passed during the summer, the direction we are moving today with this
bill is the right one: going after Iran for something outside the scope
of the nuclear deal.
When the nuclear deal was negotiated, we were told very clearly that
it would not prevent us, would not stop us from slapping sanctions on
Iran for other things, other things like support of terrorism or
ballistic missiles, or all the troublemaking activities that they do.
This is what we are doing today. We are slapping sanctions on Iran
for its behavior. We are slapping sanctions on Iran because we are not
going to stand for their doing whatever they please and helping
terrorism, suppressing rights of its people, and being a general threat
to the United States.
{time} 1500
So I hope that we can get a strong, bipartisan, overwhelming vote for
this bill the way we did in the bill that Chairman Royce and I
introduced 3
[[Page H8178]]
months ago, again, which gave the President 60 days to identify
sanctions, which was not done beyond the 60 days, and I hope that the
administration forthwith does that now.
So I think this is an important measure. I think it is an important
measure to have a strong bipartisan vote because we have to show the
Iranians that, while we may disagree on certain things, there is no
disagreement on the fact that we regard Iran as the largest state
sponsor of terrorism.
It is true of both sides of the aisle that we regard Iran as
threatening; that we regard Iran as dangerous in the Middle East; that
we regard Iran, unfortunately, as an adversary of the United States.
The comments with the rallies that the Ayatollah holds, death to
America, death to Israel, is not something that we can countenance in
this country, and so we are going to fight it.
I am very proud of what the House is doing today. I urge a ``yes''
vote. And I want to thank Chairman Royce, once again, for his strong
leadership on this measure and so many other measures.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
General Leave
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to submit any statements or any
material in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all our members who worked on this bill.
Over the last few years, the Foreign Affairs Committee has conducted
dedicated oversight of the threats posed by Iran, and we have had
dozens of hearings. And whether the topic was the nuclear program, or
the missile program, or Iran's support for terrorism, or the regime's
human rights abuses, the conclusion was clear. The United States must
respond to the full range of threats, and with this bill and the others
before us, that is what we are doing here today.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time
Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1698,
and am proud to cosponsor the Iran Ballistic Missiles and International
Sanctions Enhancement Act because we must do everything in our power to
curb, and ultimately put an end to Iran's malign behavior in the Middle
East region and across the globe.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which governs
implementation of the JCPOA, contains travel restrictions for certain
Iranian individuals. One such individual is Commander of the IRGC's
Quds Force, General Qasem Soleimani. There are troubling reports that
General Soleimani has traveled to Russia, and other countries, in
violation of UNSCR 2231, yet, the United States and the United Nations
have failed to act.
I am pleased my amendment to require a report on any credible
information regarding violations of the UN travel restrictions and any
exemptions that have been approved by the Security Council is included
in this bill. These travel restrictions were put in place for good
reason and we deserve to know whether in fact violations have occurred
and what the U.S. and UN plan to do in response.
I urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 1698.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois). The question
is on the motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce)
that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1698, as
amended.
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 of California. 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.
____________________