[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H51-H57]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE OF IRAN TO FREE EXPRESSION
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree
to the resolution (H. Res. 676) supporting the rights of the people of
Iran to free expression, condemning the Iranian regime for its
crackdown on legitimate protests, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 676
Whereas, on December 28, 2017, popular protests against the
Iranian regime began in the city of Mashad and rapidly spread
throughout the country, in the most significant anti-
government protests in Iran since June 2009;
Whereas the protesters have expressed numerous economic
grievances, including the regime's widespread corruption and
the Revolutionary Guard Corps' control of the country's
economy;
Whereas protesters have decried the regime's costly,
destabilizing activities abroad, including its support for
terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and the murderous Assad
regime in Syria;
Whereas reports indicate that more than 1,000 Iranians have
been arrested and almost two dozen killed in connection with
the protests;
Whereas the Iranian regime has shut down mobile internet
access and has blocked and pressured companies to cut off
social media applications used by activists to organize and
publicize the protests;
Whereas Congress has provided authority to license the
provision of communications technology to Iran to improve the
ability of the Iranian people to speak freely;
Whereas, on January 1, 2018, regime officials threatened to
crack down, with Brigadier General Esmaeil Kowsari of Iran's
Revolutionary Guard Corps stating, ``If this situation
continues, the officials will definitely make some decisions
and at that point this business will be finished.'';
Whereas Congress has provided authority to designate and
sanction elements of the Iranian regime involved in
significant corruption and serious human rights abuses;
Whereas Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Basij
militia have been sanctioned by the United States for
planning and carrying out serious human rights abuses against
the Iranian people, including for the cruel and prolonged
torture of political dissidents;
Whereas the regime has routinely violated the human rights
of Iranian citizens, including ongoing, systematic, and
serious restrictions of freedom of peaceful assembly and
association and freedom of opinion and expression, including
the continuing closures of media outlets, arrests of
journalists, and the censorship of expression in online
forums such as blogs and websites;
Whereas the Department of State's 2016 Human Rights Report
on Iran noted ``severe restrictions on civil liberties,
including the freedoms of assembly, association, speech,
religion, and press. Other human rights problems included
abuse of due process combined with use of capital punishment
for crimes that do not meet the requirements of due process,
as well as cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or
punishment; and disregard for the physical integrity of
persons, whom authorities arbitrarily and unlawfully
detained, tortured, or killed.'';
Whereas, on December 29, 2017, the Department of State
strongly condemned the arrest of peaceful protesters and
noted that ``Iran's leaders have turned a wealthy country
with a rich history and culture into an economically depleted
rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, and
chaos.'';
Whereas, on January 1, 2018, the Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, Boris
Johnson, stated that ``The UK is watching events in Iran
closely. We believe that there should be meaningful debate
about the legitimate and important issues the protesters are
raising and we look to the Iranian authorities to permit
this.'';
Whereas, on January 2, 2018, the French Foreign Ministry
stated that ``French authorities are closely monitoring the
situation in Iran. Demonstrating freely is a fundamental
right. The same is true for the free movement of information.
France expresses its concern over the large number of victims
and arrests.'';
Whereas, on January 1, 2018, a spokesman for the Canadian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that ``We call on the
Iranian authorities to uphold and respect democratic and
human rights'' and ``We are encouraged by the Iranian people
who are bravely exercising their basic right to protest
peacefully. Canada will continue to support the fundamental
rights of the Iranians, including freedom of expression.'';
Whereas Iran is a member of the United Nations, voted for
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is a signatory
to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
among other international human rights treaties; and
Whereas, in violation of these and other international
obligations, Iranian regime officials continue to violate the
fundamental human rights of the Iranian people: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
[[Page H52]]
(1) stands with the people of Iran that are engaged in
legitimate and peaceful protests against an oppressive,
corrupt regime;
(2) condemns the Iranian regime's serious human rights
abuses against the Iranian people, significant corruption,
and destabilizing activities abroad;
(3) notes the statements of support for the protestors from
key allies and calls on all democratic governments and
institutions to clearly support the Iranian people's right to
live in a free society;
(4) demands that the Iranian regime abide by its
international obligations with respect to human rights and
civil liberties, including freedoms of assembly, speech, and
press;
(5) urges the Administration to use targeted sanctions and
work to convene emergency sessions of the United Nations
Security Council and the United Nations Human Rights Council
to condemn the ongoing human rights violations perpetrated by
the Iranian regime and establish a mechanism by which the
Security Council can monitor such violations;
(6) encourages the Administration to expedite the license
of communications technology to Iran to improve the ability
of the Iranian people to speak freely;
(7) calls on companies to reject requests by the regime to
cut off the Iranian people from social media and other
communications platforms;
(8) respects the proud history and rich culture of the
Iranian nation and fully supports efforts by the people of
Iran to promote the establishment of basic freedoms that
build the foundation for the emergence of a freely elected,
open, and democratic political system; and
(9) urges the President and the Secretary of State to work
with the international community to ensure that violations of
human rights are part of all formal and informal multilateral
or bilateral discussions with and regarding Iran.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from California (Mr.
Sherman) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.
General Leave
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. 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 measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel
for their swift action in putting this important and timely resolution
together.
The world has been witnessing the people of Iran taking to the
streets en masse to protest the radical regime in Tehran. They have
made it clear that the regime's policies have done nothing but harm
Iran.
We have seen large-scale protests in Iran before, most notably in
2009, but these protests are different, Mr. Speaker. This time, unlike
in 2009, America has not shied away from doing the right thing. The
administration has expressed vocal support for the people of Iran, and
it has warned the regime that we are watching how it responds.
The public discontent is palpable, and these protests have exposed
the cracks behind the regime's veneer. For decades, the hardline regime
has squandered Iran's vast resources in pursuit of spreading the
revolutionary ideology and of achieving an illicit nuclear weapons
program.
The regime's rule by fear and rule by intimidation--the human rights
abuses, the silencing of the opposition, the abuses of ethnic and
religious minorities, the restrictions imposed against women under
sharia law, and the corruption, none of these are being taken anymore,
sitting down, by millions of Iranians.
Let us not be fooled, Mr. Speaker. Rouhani is no moderate. He is an
opportunist, and he is a lifelong adherent to the regime and its
hateful ideology.
That is why this resolution is so important. We must make it clear
that we truly support the people of Iran and their aspirations for a
free and democratic society. Their protests are a referendum on the
regime, and we must make it clear to all the regime officials that they
will be held accountable for any human rights abuses in response to
these protests.
But, Mr. Speaker, we must also not lose sight of the bigger picture.
These protests are important, and it is important that we take action
on human rights abuses. But this is just one aspect of the regime's
illicit behavior, and sanctions against human rights violators is but
one tool that we have at our disposal. The totality of the regime's
nefarious and illicit activity is what the people of Iran are
protesting against, and it would be unwise for us to lose focus of that
bigger picture.
So while it is important that we stand here today in support of the
people of Iran and we make it clear that there will be consequences for
human rights abuses, we must make sure that we see the whole board here
and connect the dots, and that means, Mr. Speaker, using all the tools
at our disposal, because they are not isolated issues. They are all
connected.
So, with that, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and to
continue supporting a strong response to all of Iran's illicit activity
and the use of all of the tools that we have at our disposal.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill.
In this House, we were on both sides of the Iran nuclear deal, but we
were united in knowing that Iran is not an ally of the United States--
at least, the Islamic Republic of Iran is not--and this House never
agreed to ignore extreme human rights abuses simply because the
Government of Iran has agreed to limitations on its nuclear program.
This resolution puts us on the right side of history by stating that
the House of Representatives stands with the people of Iran and
condemns the Iranian regime's serious human rights abuses. It goes on
to encourage the administration to expedite the licensing of
communications technology to entities in Iran to improve the ability of
the Iranian people to speak freely and also calls on companies around
the world not to allow this regime to use any device or any technology
to cut the Iranian people from social media and from other
communications platforms.
{time} 1430
We have seen in Iran a people dedicated to democracy and dedicated to
improving their own lives. Over 1,000 Iranians have been arrested, and
at least two dozen have been killed; this in a country with a great
history. The Cyrus Cylinder is perhaps the first human rights document
in world history. A model of it stands in the United Nations to
commemorate the dedication of the Iranian people to human rights.
Today, they shout ``No Gaza;'' ``No Lebanon;'' ``No Syria;'' ``My
life for Iran,'' because they know that this regime's involvement in
supporting terrorism around the world has not only devastated Syria,
where Assad clings to power and half a million people have died, not
only brings death and destruction to Lebanon and Yemen, but it has also
devastated the Iranian economy, because this regime insists upon
supporting Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Those are only the
terrorist regimes whose names begin with H.
Of course, this regime has killed over 5,000 members of the LGBT
community solely for who they are and whom they love.
This is a regime whose human rights record should, indeed, be
criticized by the formal adoption of a resolution by this House of
Representatives.
I also want to point out that the travel ban or Muslim ban
implemented by this administration is harming our efforts to support
the Iranian people at this time of crisis.
It says that if leaders of these demonstrations want to come to my
community, where they have tens of thousands of Iranian-American
supporters, they can't do it. And if, God forbid, they fear for their
lives and want to flee, even if they are carefully vetted, they cannot
set foot on American soil.
So I look forward to us standing with the people of Iran and
eliminating the Muslim ban. I look forward to this House saying that we
stand with the people who are putting their lives on the line to fight
for democracy.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Rohrabacher), who is
[[Page H53]]
the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe and Emerging
Threats.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 676,
which puts America squarely on the side of courageous Iranians who risk
their lives in opposition to the corruption and oppression of the
mullah regime in Tehran.
Iran is a country made up of oppressed minorities. It is a country
made up of Kurds--there are more Kurds in Iran than there are in Iraq--
Balochis, Azerias, Arabs, and yes, anticlerical Persians. These people
have lived under a regime that terrorizes their population into
submission and supports terrorist attacks on other nations.
Unlike our last President, who closed his ears to the pleas of the
Iranian oppressed and brutalized people--and also, I might add,
facilitated the transfer of billions of dollars to that regime in the
name of an arms control agreement--that President is gone, and our new
President is making us proud today by endorsing the rights of those who
are struggling for freedom and putting our country and people squarely
on the side of those people who share our values in freedom and justice
throughout the world.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Schneider).
Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the bipartisan
resolution, H. Res. 676, offered by my friends, Chairman Ed Royce and
Ranking Member Eliot Engel, of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. I
thank my friend from Florida and my friend from California for leading
us in this conversation today.
Less than 2 weeks ago, on December 28, protests began in towns and
villages throughout Iran. These quickly and organically grew to become
the largest antigovernment demonstrations the country has witnessed
since those remarkable demonstrations in the summer of 2009.
Iranian citizens have taken to the streets to decry the regime's
corruption, economic mismanagement, and destabilizing activities
abroad, including support for such terrorist groups as Hezbollah.
The Iranian people, the good men and women seeking relief from the
failings of the current regime, deserve our support. Their voices
deserve to be heard. Not surprisingly, the response of the regime in
Tehran to these protests have been predictably draconian.
News reports suggest dozens of Iranians have been killed in the
crackdown on protests and more than 1,000 Iranians have been arrested.
In an effort to silence the protesters, the Iranian Government has
blocked access to social media platforms used to organize and spread
word of the demonstrations.
This most recent crackdown is part of a long history of human rights
abuses by the Iranian Government, both at home through violent
oppression and abroad through funding of groups that support terror.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud that last month the House passed my amendment
to the Iranian Leadership Asset Transparency Act to help crack down on
Iranian human rights abusers and ensure U.S. sanctions are best
positioned to improve the human rights situation in Iran.
This is but one step. We need to do more to stop Iran's repression
and persecution of different religious faiths, including Sunni Muslims,
Christians, and Baha'is. We need to do more to stop the regime's
arbitrary and unlawful killings. We must do more to protect the Iranian
people's right to freedom of expression.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Illinois an
additional 30 seconds.
Mr. SCHNEIDER. This resolution is an opportunity for the American
people to stand with the peaceful Iranian protesters and condemn the
maligned activities of the oppressive Iranian regime.
In the days ahead, I urge this administration to hold the Iranian
regime accountable to its international human rights obligation as well
as work with our allies at the United Nations to condemn and sanction
Iran for its ongoing human rights violations.
The Iranian Government is seeking to silence its people. Today's
resolution shows we are watching and that we stand with the people of
Iran. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is the chairman of the Foreign
Affairs' Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights,
and International Organizations.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support
of H. Res. 676 and in solidarity with the people of Iran who
courageously took to the streets in the recent weeks to protest their
country's barbaric dictatorship.
I thank my good friends, Ed Royce and Eliot Engel, for their
leadership in bringing this resolution to the floor. I also thank the
chairwoman emeritus for her tremendous work over the years towards Iran
in trying to get a policy that respects fundamental human rights and
also ends their barbaric reign of terror and terrorism.
Mr. Speaker, over the past several weeks, tens of thousands of
Iranians participated in nationwide protests to condemn the corruption,
repression, and brutality that together represent the unique legacy of
Iran's nearly 40-year-old authority theocracy.
The regime responded with characteristic coercion, intimidating
activists and employing government-sponsored thugs and military units
to quell the unrest. Approximately 20 protesters died in clashes with
security forces. At least 1,000 people were arrested. I am sure those
1,000 are being tortured as we meet here today. Some estimates place
the number closer to 4,000 people.
This unrest is the inevitable consequence of a dictatorship built on
brutality and corruption in the service of domestic repression and
regional conquest. Ambassador Haley was absolutely right when she told
the U.N. Security Council: ``When the rights of the people are denied,
the people rightly resist. If the concerns are not acknowledged, then
peace and security are inevitably threatened.''
I am very proud of the work this Congress has done over the years. In
my subcommittee, we have held hearings on human rights abuses in Iran,
including with Pastor Saeed Abedini, who did a tremendous job with his
wife in trying to effectuate his relief.
We must hold Iran to account for the treatment of the hundreds of
jailed protesters and not let their faith be forgotten with the next
news cycle. We must work tirelessly to secure the liberty of our own
citizens, including Xiyue Wang, a graduate student from my own State of
New Jersey, who has spent the past 519 days in the Evin Prison complex.
Mr. Speaker, again, I urge support of the resolution.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Suozzi), a member of our committee.
Mr. SUOZZI. Mr. Speaker, the people live like paupers while the
mullahs live like gods.
For weeks, tens of thousands of brave Iranians have courageously
stood up in over 70 cities and chanted: ``The people live like paupers
while the mullahs live like gods.''
They challenge their failed government. They have done so in the face
of violent repression, imprisonment, torture, and even death.
Why?
They are fed up. They are fed up with poverty and unemployment; fed
up with economic depravation and rampant corruption; fed up with an
oppressive theocratic regime that mismanages their own country,
mistreats its own people, and spends billions of dollars sowing the
seeds of war and funding terrorists while its people suffer.
Ayatollahs recklessly pursued nuclear weapons instead of creating
jobs and building infrastructure for their own people. The regime's
apologists have long argued that these policies are popular and they
give Iranians a national sense of pride, restoring their place as a
regional power.
A regional power?
It is more like regional thugs.
In Iraq, Iranian-backed militias have executed and beat civilians,
looted homes, and destroyed people's lives. In
[[Page H54]]
Lebanon, Iranian-backed Hezbollah aims tens of thousands of rockets at
Israeli citizens. Syria backs Bashar al-Assad's vicious regime. Iran
sends weapons and money to militants in Yemen, Bahrain, and Gaza. It
has become the biggest purveyor of mayhem in the Middle East, pouring
billions of dollars into nefarious activities while their own people
are impoverished.
Today, I rise with my colleagues to support the Iranian protesters
and the bipartisan H. Res. 676. The United States and our allies should
use the menu of sanctions available to us to target human rights
violators and the Ayatollah's thugs who forcefully repress their fellow
citizens.
We must ensure the protesters have access to social media, and we
must let them know that we support them. Ayatollahs must know that the
free world is watching.
The people live like paupers while the mullahs live like gods. The
time has come for the people to rise up and change it.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. McCaul), the chairman of the Committee on Homeland
Security, as well as a senior member on the Committee on Foreign
Affairs.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this
resolution condemning the Iranian regime's crackdown on legitimate
protests and to show the world that America stands with the Iranian
people who want peace, prosperity, and freedom.
For many years, we have known the regime in Iran has fueled
radicalism and violence across the Middle East as the world's leading
state sponsor of terror. But over the last few weeks, we have seen the
brutal tactics Iran's leaders are willing to take to silence protesters
who are fed up with extremism, corruption, and incompetence coming from
their capital. The protesters deserve to have their voices heard
without fear of retaliation.
Today, Iranians are not citizens who are free to choose their own
destinies. They are subject to a fanatical dictatorship that fears the
people it rules by denying their freedoms.
Sadly, the Obama administration believed that the Ayatollah and his
radical clerics would be willing partners for peace, naively rewarding
them with billions of dollars in sanction relief. It is clear, however,
that, since the signing of the flawed Iran deal, the regime's behavior
has only gotten worse by continuing its support for terror groups like
Hezbollah and its backing of Houthi rebels in Yemen, all in pursuit of
establishing a Shia crescent.
Fortunately, the current administration and this Congress will not be
so easily fooled or complicit in their foreign adventurism. Leaders of
rogue states will say whatever they must to bring unearned concessions
from great powers.
But if it is real change that is desired, we must apply more
pressure. We cannot trust a country's government to be peaceful with
other nations if it resorts to violence against its own people it is
supposed to protect.
That is why I will soon introduce legislation that requires the Trump
administration to determine whether senior members of the Government of
Iran are responsible or complicit in human rights abuses, corruption,
or censorship.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Texas an
additional 30 seconds.
{time} 1445
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, the bill also calls out the Iranian regime's
practice of taking American citizens and other foreign nationals
hostage, and lays out several steps the administration should take in
conjunction with our allies to put an end to this practice.
A time will come when the tyrants of Tehran are held accountable for
their actions. After many decades of authoritarian rule, Iranians
deserve to be free. When democracy finally does flourish in Iran, the
people will remember who stood by their side.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Deutch).
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, in the past couple of weeks, tens of
thousands of Iranian citizens from a broad cross-section of society
took to the streets to demand accountability and change in their
country. This was the largest mass protest since the Green Revolution
in 2009.
Tragically, both ended in the same predictable darkness: harsh
government crackdowns in which innocent peaceful protesters were
arrested, were jailed, and were killed.
In the latest episode, more than 3,700 Iranian protesters were
arrested and nearly two dozen were killed. The Iranian people deserve
better and they deserve the support of all peoples who value and yearn
for freedom.
Today's resolution sends an important message to the Iranian people,
that we stand with them in their legitimate pursuit of reforms from a
regime that would silence their voices and steal their fundamental
liberties.
I also believe we should do more. I am proud to have introduced with
Chairman McCaul, along with support of Chairman Royce and Ranking
Member Engel, the Iran Human Rights and Hostage-Taking Accountability
Act that goes one step further than condemnation to actually impose
sanctions against those Iranian officials perpetrating these egregious
human rights violations, as well as those responsible for kidnapping
Americans, Americans like my own constituent, Bob Levinson, who has now
spent more than 10 years in captivity.
Last week, we welcomed in a new year, and Bob's family again ushered
in that new year without Bob by their side. For his sake and for the
sake of the Iranian people trying to hold their own regime accountable
for caring more about Assad and Hamas than they do about helping their
own citizens, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H. Res. 676 to
help bring the Iran Human Rights and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act
to the floor, and let's make sure that human rights remain exactly
where they should in American foreign policy, right at the center of
our agenda.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Poe), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, who tells it just like it
is.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding
me time.
Mr. Speaker, make no doubt about it, the number one terrorist in the
world is the Ayatollah in charge of the butchery against his own people
in Iran. He is the number one guy--the most wanted man in the world, as
far as I am concerned, for terrorism lies at his feet.
He, along with the mullahs of Iran, continues to crack down violently
on the people of Iran who are exercising a human right to protest the
government that is in charge. The regime's brutality against its people
knows no limit. To silence the crimes of the Ayatollah in Iran, they
have blocked much of the internet and social media, including the
telegram and Instagram. We must make sure that this important line of
communication stays open for the Iranian people.
In 2009, there were about 1 million folks in Iran who had access to
social media. Now there are about 20 million people, I understand, who
have access to social media. Our administration must make sure that the
American businesses and technology are still available to allow the
Iranian people to document the regime's crimes against the people.
The Iranian people can bring about change on their own, but we must
help by providing the necessary tools to empower democratic movements
that the mullahs stand in fear of.
Mr. Speaker, in 2009, the Iranians rose up against the mullahs, but
our government merely watched the arena of freedom in the streets of
Iran while our government sat in the stands as a spectator. This is not
a spectator sport. This is about freedom and human dignity.
The United States must politically, publicly, and economically
support the people of Iran and let them know we will not be in the
stands as a spectator any longer, and we must penalize the mullahs and
the Ayatollah economically for their crimes.
And that is just the way it is.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
[[Page H55]]
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank both gentlemen from
California for their leadership and for their very important work on a
very important crisis fight for human rights and freedom.
Just yesterday I rose to the floor of the House to recount my
experience over the weekend joining the Iranian-American community in
Houston on a busy corner at Post Oak and Westheimer. We joined together
as Americans to begin to articulate that there is no divide when it
comes to the freedom of speech, freedom for all to have access to
protests and democracy.
So today I rise to support H. Res. 676, and I rise to speak in horror
of the 1,000 Iranians that have been arrested and almost two dozen
killed. We mourn their loss. We recognize that it has to be all of us,
our allies included, that must stand and join in the language of this
resolution, and it is, of course, to ensure that sanctions are
pointedly targeted at those who want to oppress the protesters.
Interestingly enough, the protesters are now from rural and the
middle class. The questions of the economy are very much a part of it,
that Iranians are not able to live and to be able to have economic
opportunity. Their young people have no growth. So this is far
reaching, which is, of course, surprising to the regime.
They were hoping to quash this. They have no answers. And the answers
should be a concerted, committed, and dedicated group of allies,
including the United States, leading in efforts to support these
protesters.
So I rise today to join in standing with the people of Iran in their
legitimate and peaceful protest. I ask that the regime be condemned,
and I ask that the communications, Mr. Speaker, be allowed to continue
and that our companies don't reject----
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman from Texas.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California
for yielding.
I believe it is so important that the communication--the work that we
are getting ready to do here in the United States, to provide
communications technology, needs to go forward. We must include in our
petition--meaning our petition as Members of Congress--that our
companies do not deny or quash the rights of Iranians to communicate
with each other for peace, freedom, and democracy.
Our message to the regime is: it is time to open the doors of freedom
in Iran. Iranian Americans, Americans, the United States Congress, and,
of course, all of our government stand for peace, freedom, dignity, and
democracy for the people of Iran.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), and I ask unanimous consent that
he control that time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) is
recognized.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, today we stand with the people of Iran. We stand with
people who are engaged in legitimate protests against an oppressive,
corrupt regime.
There is a certain irony to this. This is a great people, the people
of Iran. It was the Persian king, Cyrus the Great, who drafted the
first declaration of human rights, the Cyrus Cylinder.
As you enter the United Nations, you see this quotation from him.
This was a document meant to protect other cultures and it secured a
special place in the history of civilization. His humanitarian values
that he laid out of freedom for all peoples, respect for culture, for
religious liberty, recognition of the fact that it is better to be
loved than to be feared, these are remarkable attributes, especially at
that point in time, and they were handed down as part of this deep
Persian culture.
We, who live in free societies, owe a great debt to the Iranian
people. They are the heirs to this culture. They are those who hold
those values and ideas for governance that originally inspired the
European Enlightenment, leaders of our own government here, our own
Founding Fathers. It was Thomas Jefferson who told his grandson: These
are the ideals you study first of Cyrus the Great in terms of
governance.
Now, it is amazing that Iranians at this moment enjoy far fewer
rights than their forefathers did. Cyrus was lauded for the protections
he offered religious and ethnic minorities. We look at the state of
affairs today and we see the repression of Iran's ethnic and religious
minority populations from the Azerbaijanis to the Balochs, from the
Kurds and the Arabs to the Baha'is and the Christians and the
Zoroastrians.
You know, the regime authorities routinely deny those citizens the
most basic human rights, and they do it through harassment and
intimidation and detention and violence. And if you want to know what
kind of violence, talk to the young Persians or talk to the young
minorities who suffered through the torture in those prisons.
Why do they suffer through it?
Because they are trying to bring attention to the oppressiveness of
that regime. Those young people yearn for human rights. They stand for
the celebrated culture of the Persian people and for human rights. As
this resolution makes clear, the United States House of Representatives
fully supports those who have taken to the streets in Iran to exercise
the fundamental freedom of expression and assembly.
We join them in the hope that their bravery will build the foundation
for the emergence of a freely elected, open democratic political system
in Iran. It is a moral imperative to support those who risk their lives
demanding the freedoms that people in free societies enjoy every day.
That is why this resolution calls on all democratic governments and
institutions worldwide to join us in clearly supporting the Iranian
people's right to live in a free society. We all face a clear choice.
We stand with the protesters and we stand with those who demand the
basic rights and opportunities enjoyed in free societies.
We are not going to stand with the oppressors, those who steal the
wealth of a great nation to enrich themselves and to fund violence
abroad. Supporting the people of Iran is a strategic imperative. These
brave men and women are standing up against the Revolutionary Guard's
violent intervention in Syria and Lebanon as well. We must join them in
demanding an end to the single greatest source of instability in the
Middle East, and this is this obsession that the regime has with this
ideology.
In standing with the Iranian people, we must explain that they are
not the target of our sanctions. U.S. sanctions target the oppressive
destabilizing regime, not the people of Iran. That is why, as this
resolution makes clear, Congress has provided authority to license
communications technology that improves the ability of the Iranian
people to speak freely.
Today we call on the agencies involved to expedite those licenses.
U.S. international broadcasting must also turn up the volume of its
efforts in Iran and convey a message of hope and support. This should
be conveyed by the young that know that this debate today in the
American people's House is about this issue. Iranians must know that
they are not alone in their struggle for freedom.
We also call on companies to reject requests by the regime to cut off
the Iranian people from social media.
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These technologies are at their best when they are used to empower
people and undermine the efforts of oppressive regimes.
There is more we can do, and I welcome Chairman McCaul and
Congressman Deutch's introduction of bipartisan legislation that will
give the administration greater leverage to target those responsible
for ordering and carrying out human rights abuses in Iran. This
includes the regime's practice of holding Americans and other
foreigners hostage. Many of the regime's hostages are people of Iranian
descent who came to visit family members, came to visit loved ones.
I am also working to introduce legislation that has the same goal as
those who have bravely taken to the streets: to push the corrupt
revolutionary
[[Page H56]]
guard out of the Iranian economy. In doing so, it seeks to deny the
guards the funds they use to hold power over the Iranian people while
destabilizing Syria and destabilizing Lebanon.
Mr. Speaker, Congress and the administration have a great
opportunity. We must work together on an approach to Iran that empowers
the Iranian people and targets the corrupt regime which oppresses a
great people. We cannot be quiet with the passage of this resolution.
We state that America stands with the Iranian people.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I commend our committee chairman for an
outstanding speech.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Gottheimer).
Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H.
Res. 676, to urge support for this bipartisan resolution to help stop
terror.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce and my good friend Ranking Member
Eliot Engel for their leadership on this issue, and I am glad that this
bipartisan resolution has proceeded swiftly to a vote on the House
floor.
Mr. Speaker, the revolution of 1979 marked an enormous step backwards
for global security and for the basic rights of the Iranian people, the
longest suffering victims of this corrupt terrorist regime.
From its very beginnings, the Islamic Republic of Iran, under the
control of its Supreme Leaders, has repeatedly violated the fundamental
human rights of its own citizens.
In August, the U.N. Special Reporter on the Situation of Human Rights
in Iran highlighted the Khamenei regime's many ongoing abuses,
``including the arbitrary detention and prosecution of individuals for
their legitimate exercise of a broad range of rights; the persecution
of human rights defenders, journalists, students, trade union leaders,
and artists; a high level of executions, including of juvenile
offenders; the use of torture and ill treatment; widespread violations
of the right to a fair trial and due process of law, especially before
revolutionary courts; and a high level of discrimination against women
and religious and ethnic minorities.''
Beginning late last month, protestors across the country have taken
to the streets to decry their dismal economic prospects; Iran's costly,
aggressive, and destabilizing actions throughout the region; and an
antidemocratic regime that stifles their rights and aspirations and
supports terror. These brave men and women, engaged in peaceful
demonstrations, have every right to demand change from their corrupt
and oppressive terrorist government.
While Iranians live under a brutal, authoritarian mullahcracy at
home, their government insists on bankrolling terror throughout the
region. Iran has capitalized on sanctions relief, bolstering its
arsenal of conventional arms and its illegal ballistic missile program,
and increasing the funding of heinous terrorist organizations and
proxies in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq, as well as propping up the
murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
As the world's leading sponsor of terror, Iran provides more than
$800 million, annually, to Hezbollah and recently renewed its support
for Hamas. Iranian-backed forces are also attempting to gain a foothold
in Syria, right up against Israel's border, to threaten our vital ally
and the leading democracy in the region.
There should be nothing partisan about having the backs of brave men
and women anywhere who risk death to speak out for what is right and
against a terrorist regime. This bipartisan resolution condemns the
regime's censorship, violent crackdowns, and systematic repression. We
must send a clear message to Iran that its destructive behavior
throughout the Middle East will not be tolerated.
Mr. Speaker, the time has come for the people of Iran to enjoy their
fundamental right to a peaceful and democratic government. I urge each
of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan resolution to
help stop terror.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, simple things mean a lot. That is why I, too, stand in
support of H. Res. 676, which sends a clear message that the United
States strongly condemns the arrest of peaceful protestors by the rogue
Iranian regime.
Mr. Speaker, the Iranian people deserve to be free. The last
administration witnessed such protests about 8 years ago and turned its
back. The world saw that America turned their back on the freedom
effort and movement in Iran.
The current administration has noticed immediately and recognized
immediately, and we are here today to say that no longer will terrorism
be appeased; no longer should we help pay for the funding of Hezbollah
and Hamas through payments in the Iran nuclear deal.
Simple things mean a lot, and simple things like this resolution, Mr.
Speaker, mean that we stand with the Iranian people who breathe and
live to be free, just like we do.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), a member of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs.
Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, thank you for demonstrating that the House
of Representatives stands with the people of Iran and condemns the
country's brutal regime.
I rise today to applaud the Iranian people, who are struggling for
dignity, human rights, and economic security under a shadow of
oppression. We are a hemisphere away, but our hearts are with the brave
men and women who are raising their voices in hopes that they will
finally be free from the reins of tyranny.
The Iranian people are protesting the abuses of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps, and we must support their outrage by
severely punishing and containing the IRGC with suffocating sanctions.
We must work with our allies to help Iranians communicate on the
internet without restrictions. We must broadcast footage from
protestors and hold authorities accountable for abuses.
America is an enthusiastic friend of the Iranian people. We are
thrilled to support their aspirations for justice and liberty, and we
stand with them as they take to the streets and demand an end to
oppression.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan of Tennessee). The time of the
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) has expired.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce), and I ask unanimous consent that he be able to
control that time.
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 1 minute to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin).
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in favor of this resolution
demonstrating our support for the Iranian people's cry for democracy.
On December 28, 2017, tens of thousands of Iranians courageously
poured into the streets to protest the brutality of President Rouhani's
regime. Instead of caring for its own people, the Iranian regime
focuses all of its energy on suffocating their cry, murdering
protestors, while choking off communication via the internet and social
media apps.
We have been down this road before. This is our second chance.
The Iranian people, smothered by their own government, look to us,
and, instead of the chill of silence, this time, they are rightfully
met with the full, immediate, and resounding support of the United
States. We stand in solidarity with millions of Iranians desperate for
support to help them turn the tide in Tehran and all throughout Iran.
The people of Iran will be losing a great champion with the
retirement of Chairman Royce, who has served over the course of the
last three terms as chairman of our committee. The fight continues.
Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution.
Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
[[Page H57]]
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, this is a bipartisan resolution. It will put America and
this Congress on the side of the Iranian people.
Regardless of which side you are on as to the nuclear deal, we are
all dedicated to peace and democracy in Iran and an end to its support
for terrorism around the world, support that not only causes damage
outside Iran's borders but, as the demonstrators shouting in over 50
Iranian cities have clearly indicated, devastates the economy of Iran.
To us here in Washington, we may believe that the face of this regime
is that of Foreign Minister Zarif, the dapper, debonair diplomat,
meeting with us in Geneva and Vienna. But the real face of this regime
is that of Alan Kurdi, the 3-year-old Kurdish child found washed up on
the beach in Turkey after fleeing the war in Syria, a war that has
claimed nearly 500,000 lives because, and only because, Assad has been
propped up by the Iranian regime. The other faces of this regime are
the real faces of Iranian protestors who put their lives on the line
for the freedom of their country.
Mr. Speaker, this is a bill that deserves the support of both sides
of the aisle.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 676.
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.
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