[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 17, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2468-H2471]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 STANDING AGAINST HOUTHI AGGRESSION ACT

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1149, I call up 
the bill (H.R. 6046) to designate Ansarallah as a foreign terrorist 
organization and impose certain sanctions on Ansarallah, and for other 
purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bost). Pursuant to House Resolution 
1149, in lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 
118-29 shall be considered as adopted, and the bill, as amended, is 
considered read.
  The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:

                               H.R. 6046

       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 ``Standing Against Houthi 
     Aggression Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) It was reported by Reuters on March 21, 2017, that 
     Iran, a designated state sponsor of terror, sent advanced 
     weapons and military advisers to assist and support Yemen's 
     Ansarallah, commonly referred to as the ``Houthis''.
       (2) On January 19, 2021, the Trump Administration 
     designated Ansarallah as a foreign terrorist organization and 
     a specially designated global terrorist.
       (3) On February 16, 2021, Secretary of State Blinken 
     revoked the designation of Ansarallah as a foreign terrorist 
     organization pursuant to section 219(a)(6)(A) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189(a)(6)(A)).
       (4) Since October 7, 2023, the Houthis have launched over 
     40 ballistic missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle attacks on 
     international shipping in the Red Sea, including direct 
     attacks on United States sailors and taking an international 
     ship and its crew hostage. This follows years of Houthi 
     cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab 
     Emirates.
       (5) Houthi attacks on global shipping have caused many 
     shipping companies to re-route to avoid the area, resulting 
     in a de-facto blockade against Yemen, while also driving up 
     shipping costs, disrupting supply chains, and negatively 
     impacting the global economy.
       (6) In addition to providing the Houthis with advanced 
     conventional weapons and component parts, Iran and their 
     Hezbollah proxies have also enabled the Houthis with 
     financial support, training, and technical knowledge to 
     manufacture weapons, including long range drones and 
     ballistic and cruise missiles in Yemen, resulting in 
     increased Houthi weapons stockpiles and illegal weapons 
     proliferation throughout the region.

     SEC. 3. DESIGNATION AS FTO; IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS.

       (a) Designation as FTO.--Not later than 90 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
     shall designate Ansarallah as a foreign terrorist 
     organization pursuant to section 219(a) of the Immigration 
     and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189(a)).
       (b) Imposition of Sanctions.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the President shall impose the 
     sanctions described in paragraph (2) with respect to--
       (A) Ansarallah; and
       (B) any foreign person that is a member, agent, or 
     affiliate of, or owned or controlled by Ansarallah.
       (2) Sanctions described.--The sanctions described in this 
     paragraph are the following:
       (A) Blocking of property.--The President shall exercise all 
     authorities granted under the International Emergency 
     Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent 
     necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in property 
     and interests in property of Ansarallah or the foreign person 
     if such property and interests in property are in the United 
     States, come within the United States, or come within the 
     possession or control of a United States person.
       (B) Ineligibility for visas, admission, or parole.--
       (i) Visas, admission, or parole.--An alien described in 
     paragraph (1) shall be--

       (I) inadmissible to the United States;
       (II) ineligible to receive a visa or other documentation to 
     enter the United States; and
       (III) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into 
     the United States or to receive any other benefit under the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et 16 seq.).

       (ii) Current visas revoked.--

       (I) In general.--The visa or other entry documentation of 
     any alien described in paragraph (1) is subject to revocation 
     regardless of the issue date of the visa or other entry 
     documentation.
       (II) Immediate effect.--A revocation under subclause (I) 
     shall, in accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration 
     and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i))--

       (aa) take effect immediately; and
       (bb) cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation 
     that is in the possession of the alien.
       (3) Penalties.--Any person that violates, or attempts to 
     violate, paragraph (2) or any regulation, license, or order 
     issued pursuant to that subsection, shall be subject to the 
     penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 
     of the International Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to 
     the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful act 
     described in subsection (a) of that section.
       (4) 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 this subsection.
       (5) Regulations.--
       (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 
     subsection.
       (B) Notification to congress.--Not less than 10 days before 
     the promulgation of regulations under paragraph (1), the 
     President shall notify the appropriate congressional 
     committees of the proposed regulations and the provisions of 
     this subsection that the regulations are implementing.
       (C) Appropriate congressional committee defined.--In this 
     paragraph, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means--
       (i) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; and
       (ii) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee 
     on the Judiciary of the Senate.
       (6) Exceptions.--
       (A) Exception for intelligence activities.--Sanctions under 
     this subsection shall not apply to any activity subject to 
     the reporting requirements under title V of the National 
     Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq.) or any 
     authorized intelligence activities of the United States.
       (B) Exception to comply with international obligations and 
     for law enforcement activities.--Sanctions under this 
     subsection shall not apply with respect to an alien if 
     admitting or paroling the alien into the United States is 
     necessary--
       (i) 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; or
       (ii) to carry out or assist authorized law enforcement 
     activity in the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 1 hour, 
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, or their respective designees.
  The gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) and the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Meeks) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul).


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlemen from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we are here today because of the grievous errors of the 
Biden administration.
  The Biden administration's failed policies have emboldened the Houthi 
rebels at the expense of our regional partners. By projecting weakness 
on the world stage, this administration has invited aggression.
  The Houthis were previously designated as a foreign terrorist 
organization, or FTO, and a specially designated global terrorist 
organization. Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued both 
designations in January 2021.

[[Page H2469]]

  This was in response to the Houthis' violent takeover of Yemen's 
capital, years of civil war, and wide-scale suppression of Yemeni 
civilians, as well as the hundreds of cross-border attacks on Saudi 
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Houthis undertook this entire 
campaign of destruction with the backing of Iran, the leading state 
sponsor of terrorism.
  Regrettably, the incoming Biden administration removed the two 
terrorist designations, even though Houthis continued to traffic in 
terror. Removing these designations with no concessions only emboldened 
the Houthi rebels.
  After the designation was removed, the Houthis breached the former 
U.S. Embassy compound in Yemen. They forcibly detained several current 
and former U.S. Embassy locally employed staff and international aid 
workers, and Houthi cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia doubled 
compared to the previous year.
  The Houthis' terrorist activities reached new heights after Hamas' 
October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel. Since then, the Houthis, with 
the support of Iran and their Hezbollah proxies, have undertaken a 
deadly and disruptive campaign. They have launched over 100 missiles 
and drone attacks on global shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of 
Aden. The Houthis' missile and drone attacks have killed mariners and 
have even sunk a ship. The Houthis have hijacked a ship and continue to 
hold its crew hostage.
  Iran and Hezbollah are, according to declassified U.S. intelligence, 
directly involved in the Houthi campaign against international 
shipping.
  These disruptions pose a serious threat to the global economy. Ships 
are rerouting around the Horn of Africa, adding approximately 10 days 
in additional travel time and up to $1 million in fuel costs. Moreover, 
insurance premiums for ships using the Red Sea have increased tenfold.
  The United States and our international partners have responded with 
military force to defend against the incoming Houthi attacks and, in 
some cases, undertaken strikes on Houthi military infrastructure in 
Yemen.
  We need to be exerting all forms of pressure and deterrence on the 
Houthis to stop these attacks. We cannot ignore the Houthis' true 
nature. Their slogan, Mr. Speaker, is: ``Death to America, Death to 
Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam.''
  They are a terrorist organization and must be designated as such. 
This will ensure that all forms of support to the Houthis are subject 
to sanctions or criminal penalties.
  While the Biden administration reimposed the specially designated 
global terrorist designation, it has substantial carve-outs that weaken 
the impact, essentially rendering it useless.
  The stakes are too high, Mr. Speaker. One can only think about last 
Saturday night when Iran fired over 300 missiles and drones into 
Israel. It is the first time in history that rockets have been fired 
out of Iran into the State of Israel.
  We must take action, and that is why this bill directs the Secretary 
of State to redesignate the Houthis as an FTO with no exceptions and no 
carve-outs.
  The Houthis are waging an all-out war on global commerce and freedom 
of navigation, and Iran is bankrolling them.

                              {time}  1330

  If the United States and international community do not respond, we 
are, in essence, yielding to the demands of the terrorists. We are 
emboldening them and empowering them.
  The Biden administration's weakness invited further Houthi 
aggression. Now it is up to the Congress to act and preserve our 
national security.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

         Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, 
           Committee on the Judiciary,
                                    Washington, DC, March 1, 2024.
     Hon. Michael McCaul,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McCaul: I write regarding H.R. 6046. the 
     Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act. Provisions of this 
     bill fall within the Judiciary Committee's Rule X 
     jurisdiction, and I appreciate that you consulted with us on 
     those provisions. The Judiciary Committee agrees that it 
     shall be discharged from further consideration of the bill so 
     that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
       The Committee takes this action with the understanding that 
     forgoing further consideration of this measure does not in 
     any way alter the Committee's jurisdiction or waive any 
     future jurisdictional claim over these provisions or their 
     subject matter. We also reserve the right to seek appointment 
     of an appropriate number of conferees in the event of a 
     conference with the Senate involving this measure or similar 
     legislation.
       I ask that you please include this letter in your 
     committee's report to accompany this legislation or insert 
     this letter in the Congressional Record during consideration 
     of H.R. 6046 on the House floor. I appreciate the cooperative 
     manner in which our committees have worked on this matter, 
     and I look forward to working collaboratively in the future 
     on matters of shared jurisdiction. Thank you for your 
     attention to this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Jim Jordan,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                    Washington, DC, March 5, 2024.
     Hon. Jim Jordan,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Jordan: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Foreign Affairs Committee and agreeing to be discharged from 
     further consideration of H.R. 6046. the Standing Against 
     Houthi Aggression Act, so that the measure 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 measure 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 place our letters into our Committee's report on 
     this 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,
                                                Michael T. McCaul,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 6046, which would 
force the administration to designate the Houthis a foreign terrorist 
organization, an FTO, a designation that risks jeopardizing the very 
lifesaving assistance Yemeni civilians are dependent on for their 
survival.
  Let me be clear. Everyone in this body recognizes the threat the 
Houthis pose both in Yemen and the Red Sea. We have seen the Iran-
backed proxy launch a campaign of missile attacks on commercial vessels 
in the Red Sea, attempting to halt global trade, violating 
international law. Their disruptive campaign has not only endangered 
merchant vessels, but also United States personnel with the clear-
stated intention of harming Israel and any of its allies.
  That said, I believe that this legislation is the wrong approach. The 
Biden administration has undertaken the correct approach. In response 
to the Houthis' unprecedented attack in the Red Sea, the 
administration, rather than unilaterally, worked multilaterally with 
more than 40 countries to curb the Houthi behavior while not escalating 
tension in the Middle East.
  The administration has targeted military strikes on Houthi targets 
and implemented, specifically, specially designated global terrorist 
sanctions with appropriate humanitarian provisions.
  Working collectively with our allies, not America alone, is the way 
that we win this battle. That is the correct route instead of this 
measure, which does not address the Houthi threat.
  Instead, it undermines the United States' national security objective 
in the region and endangers innocent Yemenis, who are already on the 
brink of perishing.
  First, the H.R. 6046 mandate does not include humanitarian 
provisions, thereby unnecessarily punishing millions of Yemeni 
civilians. This would create a scenario in which commercial vessels and 
humanitarian organizations would not be able to continue to provide 
lifesaving goods to many Yemenis due to severe criminal penalties they 
would incur for doing so.
  After nearly a decade of brutal war, the majority of the Yemenis, 
nearly half of them children, face serious malnutrition, and millions 
more Yemenis remain on the brink of starvation. This legislation would 
only deepen the humanitarian crisis at a time when aid is

[[Page H2470]]

most needed. That is why a broad coalition of NGOs and humanitarian 
organizations oppose an FTO designation without humanitarian 
provisions.
  While some may point to existing general licenses or provisions as a 
mitigating factor, the legal implications of an FTO designation and the 
sweeping consequences it entails, without regard to type of activity or 
transaction, renders such licenses moot without any such new statutory 
authorizations or exemptions.
  Secondly, this designation would also undercut important ongoing 
diplomatic efforts by the United States, the U.N., and European 
countries to achieve de-escalation in the region, the world, together. 
That is the right thing to do.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, this bill is theatrical. It will have no real-
world impact on the Houthi behavior, but would likely serve as a public 
relations win and recruiting fodder for the movement while, at the same 
time, the people that would be punished are the Yemenis, those innocent 
children and women and men. It is unnecessary.
  This and any future administration already has the authority to 
implement such a designation per section 219 of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act.
  Mr. Speaker, for these reasons and others, I urge my colleagues not 
to support H.R. 6046, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Clyde), a member of the Committee on Appropriations and 
the author of this bill.
  Mr. CLYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul for his leadership on 
this bill, as well. It is greatly appreciated.
  Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that we are considering my bill, H.R. 
6046, the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act, today.
  This legislation would reimpose the foreign terrorist organization 
designation on the Iran-backed Houthis, as well as reinstate additional 
sanctions against the group.
  The Houthis have long been a source of terror and violence, not only 
to Yemen, but to the whole region. Yet, for incalculable reasons, the 
Biden administration refuses to call them what they are. They are 
terrorists.
  President Donald Trump rightfully classified the Houthis as a foreign 
terrorist organization in January of 2021 after a series of heinous 
attacks against civilians. However, in a shocking and politically 
motivated retraction, the Biden administration reversed President 
Trump's decision just 1 month later, further empowering the Iran-backed 
Houthis in their acts of terror.
  The Houthis have carried out a series of ongoing attacks in recent 
months, including ballistic-missile and unmanned-aerial-vehicle attacks 
against international shipping vessels in the Red Sea. The attacks 
began last year when Houthi forces landed a helicopter on a cargo 
vessel and seized the crew. Since then, there have been more than 40 
attacks on commercial ships by the Houthi rebels.
  We express our deep gratitude to the brave men and women of the USS 
Carney who have taken defensive measures against the Houthi anti-ship 
ballistic missiles on multiple occasions to safeguard the waters of the 
Gulf of Aden.
  Tragically, two Navy SEALs were recently lost at sea and later 
declared deceased after a U.S. operation to intervene and seize Iranian 
weapons being transported to the Houthis. American blood has been 
spilled because of the Houthi terrorists.
  Additionally, over this past weekend, the Houthis joined Iran's 
assault on our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel. While the 
Israeli Iron Dome and the United States Central Command thankfully 
intercepted 99 percent of the projectiles, the Houthis' growing 
aggression represents an existential danger in the region.

  In response to these ongoing attacks, the Biden administration felt 
pressured, and so they recognized that they had to do something. 
Therefore, they designated the Houthi movement as a specially 
designated global terrorist group in January, but this lower-tier 
designation is simply not enough. It comes nowhere close to matching 
the force of a foreign terrorist organization designation.
  President Trump designated the Houthis as both, and they should be 
both designations. The foreign terrorist organization designation, as 
provided in this bill, goes much farther, allowing for special criminal 
penalties for materiel support, like military supplies; immigration 
restrictions; and the ability for victims to seek damages. H.R. 6046 
would require that the Houthis receive the foreign terrorist 
organization designation within 90 days after the enactment of this 
bill.
  The Houthis' intentions are abundantly clear, but by passing my bill, 
we make our intentions perfectly clear, that the United States does not 
bargain with, nor capitulate to terrorist regimes.
  Mr. Speaker, as the sponsor of this legislation, I urge my colleagues 
on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 6046, the Standing Against 
Houthi Aggression Act, to forcefully show that there will be 
consequences for the Houthis' egregious acts of terror.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Carter), the chairman of the Energy and Commerce 
Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials.
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6046, the Standing 
Against Houthi Aggression Act, which I am proud to be a cosponsor of.
  Quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, I am appalled that I have to say this, 
but the President of the United States has emboldened Iran to attack 
our greatest ally in the Middle East and the only democracy in that 
region, Israel.
  In February of 2021, the Biden administration removed the Houthis 
from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations. This was a 
terrible, terrible misjudgment that mirrors this administration's 
complete lack of authority on issues of national and international 
security.
  Iranian-backed terrorist organizations have repeatedly proven that 
they will carry out the Iranian regime's radical Islamic ideology to no 
end. This weekend was a sobering reminder of that.
  It is time to hold Iran and its proxies accountable for their 
actions. This requires that the U.S. take a firmer stance against 
Iran's state-sponsored terrorism. The Standing Against Houthi 
Aggression Act places the Houthis back onto the list of foreign 
terrorist organizations, where they should have been all along, and it 
imposes immediate sanctions on any individual associated with the 
group.
  If President Biden refuses to lead, I hope this body will step up in 
his absence to fight against anti-Semitism and state-sponsored 
terrorism. Anything less than that, Mr. Speaker, is unacceptable.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I and reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6046 would force the administration to designate 
the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization without humanitarian 
provisions and, consequently, make the humanitarian crisis in Yemen 
even more dire.
  Now, Mr. Clyde says that the Biden administration doesn't want to 
call the Houthis what they are, but let me read what they are and 
sanctioned already. They are a specially designated global terrorist. 
That is what the Biden administration issued. The difference between 
the two, being an SDGT as opposed to being an FTO, is one allows 
humanitarian aid in, and the other doesn't.
  This bill would have significant adverse impacts, creating a 
situation in which humanitarian organizations and commercial shippers 
would be reluctant to provide food, aid, and medical equipment to Yemen 
out of fear of the severe criminal consequences this bill would impose.
  It does nothing really to change the Houthis' behavior. It just hurts 
innocent Yemeni people. Therefore, I support the administration's 
efforts to counter Houthi actions with targeted military strikes and 
the implementation of that specially designated global terrorist 
sanction, which includes the humanitarian provisions that this bill

[[Page H2471]]

lacks. This is, by far, the better path toward ceasing hostile Houthi 
actions.
  The Biden administration's approach holds the Houthis responsible for 
their violent, destabilizing actions without deepening the crisis for 
innocent Yemeni citizens.

                              {time}  1345

  I am going to stand with a broad coalition of NGOs, humanitarian 
organizations, and those that understand the wealth and the need and 
the richness of human life, trying to save human beings, not turning 
our backs on them with a piece of legislation that will do nothing 
really to the Houthis or change their behavior.
  All of these NGOs, all of these humanitarian organizations, oppose an 
FTO designation without humanitarian provisions.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to do the same. We should make 
sure that the NGOs and humanitarian organizations are able to help save 
innocent lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I oppose this bill and ask my colleagues to oppose this 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, let me just say I learned one thing in my 20 years here 
and as a history major, as well. It repeats itself.
  If you message weakness, that invites aggression, conflict, and war. 
If you project strength, you have peace. Whether it be Israel, whether 
it be Ukraine, whether it be China and their ambitions with Taiwan, we 
are projecting weakness.
  We are seeing around the world our global hot spots. The world is on 
fire now, Mr. Speaker, fires lit by a policy of appeasement.
  When they lifted the FTO designation on the Houthi rebels, there is a 
direct cause and effect. I respect my good friend from the other side 
of the aisle, but messaging counts. Deterrence does count.
  What happened after the Biden administration lifted the terrorist 
designation? We had crossed borders on Saudi Arabia that doubled to 
over 400 attacks, more than 180 on international shipping, and they are 
shutting down the Red Sea and commerce.
  We are only emboldening, and unfortunately, the policy in the Middle 
East has always been to appease and accommodate Iran so that maybe Iran 
will one day sit down so we can break bread and have this glorious Iran 
deal.
  I am an idealist and an optimist, but I am also a realist and 
pragmatic in my worldview. That was not going to happen.
  What have we seen when the Biden administration lifted sanctions on 
energy? We have seen $80 billion in energy sold to China; $80 billion 
going to Iran to kill, for terror operations through their proxies; $80 
billion to send missiles, rockets, and drones to Russia to kill 
Ukrainians. It is all connected. Those three are our adversaries and 
our enemies, all three of them.
  This is not the time to be sending a message of weakness to the 
largest state sponsor of terror, for to do so will only invite more 
aggression.
  We also have waived and let expire sanctions on the drones and 
missiles manufactured by Iran. Let's think about that. That just went 
away. So, guess what? Iran can now sell their drones and missiles 
wherever they want, putting more money into Iran for their terror 
operations.
  I can go on and on. We know what is happening there. We saw what 
happened last Saturday, the reign of terror. Thank God the United 
States provided the moneys for the Iron Dome, David's Sling, and the 
Arrow, which brought down 99 percent of these attacks. Ninety-nine 
percent of these attacks were actually brought down, stopped, and 
intercepted because of this partnership against terror.
  Mr. Speaker, to our servicemembers defending freedom of navigation 
right now in the Red Sea against the threat of Houthi rockets that they 
intercept every day, for the other side to say it is not connected to 
Iran just defies our U.S. intelligence community. We know exactly where 
it is coming from. They are the proxies. Iran, the Ayatollah, is the 
head of the snake and the proxies are the tentacles. It is time to deal 
with the tentacles, and it is also time to cut the head of the snake 
off.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1149, the 
previous question is ordered on the bill, as amended.
  The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was 
read the third time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on passage of the bill.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. McCAUL. 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 question will be postponed.

                          ____________________