Prohibiting Future Ransom Payments to Iran Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I am grateful to be a co- sponsor of H.R. 5931, to prohibit future cash payments to Iran.

In January, the President made a $1.7 billion cash payment along with the dangerous Iranian Nuclear Deal. After months of questions from the Foreign Affairs Committee about the deal and other leaders, we are just now getting the truth--

The payment was a ransom for four Americans who sat on a runway until the currency was en route.

The payment was made in cash--provided in pallets of untraceable foreign currency easily provided to murderous terrorists.

The Administration claimed cash was the only way to pay the ransom, yet the Treasury Department stated that the U.S. has made payments to the Iranian government via wire transfer in the past year.

As a leading state sponsor of terrorism, a cash payment to Iran will almost certainly go to finance terrorist activities, putting American families at risk.

Needless to say, the cash payment to the Iranian regime is a dangerous precedent that puts American families at risk. Last week, I sent a letter to the Treasury Department's Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence asking what steps his office took to ensure the cash ransom did not go to finance terrorism. I am still awaiting response.

I appreciate the leadership of Chairman Ed Royce for sponsoring this legislation and for his work to stop the dangerous practice of providing cash to state sponsors of terrorism threatening American families.

I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this crucial legislation.

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