[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 198 (Tuesday, December 20, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7805-S7806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE SESSION

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate will resume legislative session.
  The Senator from Oregon.


                 Unanimous Consent Request--S. Res. 183

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, since 2009, I have lead a bipartisan 
coalition of Senators to pass a resolution each Congress acknowledging 
the plight of the Baha'i community in Iran. I want to note that 
Chairman Menendez and I have worked together on a lot of issues, and he 
and I are both very much in support of this.
  In doing this, I have carried on the work of former colleagues on 
both sides who have used their bully pulpit to condemn the Iranian 
Government's persecution of the Baha'is in every Congress since 1982.
  In fact, the House of Representatives passed their own resolution on 
this issue earlier this month. In my view, it is crucial--and I know 
Chairman Menendez feels strongly about this too--that the Senate pass 
this resolution and strongly condemn the repressive Iranian Government.
  Over the past 13 weeks, the world has witnessed the Iranian 
Government's violent repression of its own people in response to 
nationwide protests defending women's rights. It should come as no 
surprise to my colleagues that the Iranian Government has a long 
history of repressing and targeting religious minorities and, in 
particular, the Baha'i community.
  The Wyden family knows quite a bit about authoritarian regimes 
targeting and persecuting individuals on the basis of religion. I know 
the distinguished Presiding Officer has known several Wydens over the 
years who have lived in his home State and has heard the stories about 
how we fled the Nazis. In our family, not all got out. We lost family 
there and other horrors. So we know a lot about these authoritarian 
regimes.
  Today, the Baha'i community continues to face harassment, violence, 
dehumanization, and persecution in all forms. Baha'is in Iran are 
subject to arbitrary arrests and imprisonment, and they are denied 
access to higher education and certain occupations.
  My resolution, which has long had bipartisan support, condemns the 
Government of Iran's state sanctions and persecution of the Baha'i 
community and its continued violations of the Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 
and the International Covenant on Economic Social, and Cultural Rights.
  The resolution further calls on the Iranian Government to release all 
people detained or imprisoned solely on account of their religion. 
Their campaign of hate against the Baha'is includes policies that deny 
Baha'is and other religious minorities equal opportunities, freedoms, 
and rights under the law.
  My resolution calls on the Biden administration to condemn these 
human rights violations, push for the release of religious prisoners, 
and use its authority to impose sanctions against those responsible for 
these deplorable human rights violations.
  I want to close, again, by emphasizing that Chairman Menendez and I 
have a history of working together on this. Both of us have been strong 
supporters of the Baha'is in documenting these human rights issues. At 
the end of the Congress, you have all kinds of challenges with respect 
to the process, and I respect his views very much.
  So I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be 
discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. 
Res. 183; that the resolution be agreed to; that the preamble be agreed 
to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon 
the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from New Jersey.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, let me, 
first, praise Senator Wyden for his continuing effort on behalf of the 
Baha'is. As he has mentioned, we have worked together on this in the 
past. I am strongly supportive.
  I am in complete agreement with what Senator Wyden wants to do in 
terms of shining a spotlight on the abuses that the Baha'is face at the 
hands of the Iranian regime and taking steps to protect that community.
  I believe that religious freedom and support for religious minorities 
is a fundamental right, one we have to defend both at home and abroad. 
For decades, Iran has persecuted religious minorities, ethnic 
minorities, women--as we have seen most pointedly of late--and anyone 
who does not toe the regime's line.
  Senator Wyden's resolution addresses an important issue. My challenge 
here is that we have a flood of requests to release the committee both 
of resolutions and legislation, including of members of the committee, 
and we have said no in order to preserve the opportunity to have the 
imprint of the committee's process on any given resolution or piece of 
legislation. In order to preserve that, we ultimately have a challenge. 
If we were to allow this to happen at this point, there would be an 
enormous number.
  So what I can commit to the Senator is that at the very beginning of 
this new session, the committee will take up your resolution. I will 
work with

[[Page S7806]]

the ranking member, as we have comity, but we will take up the 
resolution, look to pass it out, and then work with you to make sure it 
passes to the floor.
  Mr. WYDEN. Would the Senator just yield very briefly?
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Sure.
  Mr. WYDEN. I thank my colleague. I understand full well because 
between the Foreign Relations Committee and the Finance Committee, we 
have these kinds of challenges very, very frequently. I very much 
appreciate working with my colleague and look forward to moving this 
early next year.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. And because of that, I object at this point.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.

                          ____________________