[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 201 (Thursday, December 20, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       STAND FIRM BRAVE IRANIANS

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 20, 2018

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this year has been another important 
year in pushing back on the tyrannical Iranian regime. The passion and 
determination of the Iranian people in the face of a corrupt and 
despotic regime provides much needed inspiration to us all.
  We are witnessing historic times in Iran. The Iranian people are 
still fighting for their rights in the streets. As much as the regime 
tries to hide it, or use violence to suppress it, change is coming to 
Iran. The world is more aware that the Supreme Leader and his thugs are 
not moderates that should be welcome among other responsible nations. 
Instead, through the bravery of the Iranian people, the world knows 
they are murderers and thieves.
  There is a reason why Iran has earned the title of the world's number 
one state sponsor of terrorism. It sends millions of dollars to fuel 
wars in Syria and Yemen and enriches its proxies in Lebanon, Iraq, 
Bahrain and Gaza. A few weeks ago, the Coordinator for Counterterrorism 
Bureau at the State Department told my subcommittee that Iran spends $1 
billion dollars a year to support its terrorist proxies. It steals this 
money from the Iranian people and responds with brutality if they dare 
speak out. But they continue to speak out.
  I have always been proud to stand with them. The cause of freedom in 
Iran is just and righteous, and it will never be silenced. Together we 
are having an impact. The people of Iran, including the MEK, have 
sacrificed so much for the cause of liberty. They have spoken the truth 
and have exposed this regime for the evil it is: a state run by 
terrorist thugs. Iranians have been imprisoned, tortured, and murdered 
fighting for the cause of freedom. Iranian dissidents have been forced 
to flee their homes, refugee camps in Iraq, and the wider region to 
escape the Mullahs reach. Fortunately, many Iranians have found safety 
in the West and we are working tireless to make sure Iran's evil 
intentions can no longer hurt them. Throughout all of it, these 
Iranians have stood firm with remarkable courage.
  But the fight is not over, because the fight for freedom in Iran is 
not over. The regime continues to find ways to evade sanctions, and so 
we must continue to pursue them. With the help of the Iranian people, 
we will find how they cheat and expose them.
  The Mullahs are relentless, so we must be too. In the end democracy 
and justice will prevail as it always has. The American people stand 
with the people of Iran, because we believe in freedom, liberty, and 
the American way. They must keep their heads high, and remember they 
are on the right side of history. The tide is turning. Iran will be 
free.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________