Iran Human Rights and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support for my bill to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its continued human rights violations.

I introduced the Iran Human Rights and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act with Congressman Deutch, and I am grateful for Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel's support in this effort.

The Iranian regime continues to perpetrate gross human rights abuses against its own people. They continue to suppress and censor their people's calls for democratic reform. They recklessly use their nation's resources to expand their destabilizing influence and support of terrorism. They continue to engage in corrupt practices, and they continue to illegally detain and imprison our citizens without just cause. This is simply unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, this bill serves as a clear signal to the people of Iran that we support their quest for freedom. It shines a light on the regime's human rights violations and targets Iranian officials guilty of corruption, censorship, and the diversion of goods intended for the Iranian people. It requires the President to work with our international partners to develop a strategy to end this inhumane behavior and sanctions those officials complicit in those crimes. Finally, it sanctions those individuals who take Americans hostage.

Mr. Speaker, today, there are more than six American citizens and permanent U.S. residents held by the Iranian regime in a shameful attempt to use innocent human lives as political bargaining chips. These hostages include: Bob Levinson, Congressman Deutch's constituent, who has been missing since 2007 and remains America's longest held hostage; Siamak Namazi and his 81-year-old father, Baquer, held since 2015 and 2016, respectively; Ph.D. student, Xiyue Wang, held since 2017; internet freedom activist, Nizar Zakka, held since 2016; and others.

The United States has a moral responsibility to devote resources to these hostages and make their return a priority. I sent a letter with Congressman Lieu and 46 other Members of Congress requesting that the administration keep Congress informed as to what steps they are taking to guarantee this happens.

So, again, I thank the chairman and ranking member, Congressman Deutch, for their leadership on this bipartisan effort to hold Iran accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the letter dated April 23, 2018. Congress of the United States, Washington, DC, April 23, 2018. Hon. John J. Sullivan, Acting Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC.

Dear Acting Secretary Sullivan: We write to request information regarding the Administration's efforts to secure the release of American citizens and permanent U.S. residents held hostage by the government of Iran.

As you know, Iran has a long history of unjustly holding hostages in violation of international law dating back to 1979. Over the years, the Iranian regime has arrested dozens of foreigners on spurious charges and convicted them in sham trials held in secretive courts. Many of the detained American citizens and permanent residents are also held in deplorable conditions, where they experience severe health and psychological issues.

Today, there are more than six American citizens and permanent U.S. residents held by the Iranian regime in a shameful attempt to use innocent human lives as political bargaining chips. These hostages include Bob Levinson, who has been missing since 2007 and remains America's longest- held hostage; Siamak Namazi and his 81-year-old father Baquer, held since 2015 and 2016, respectively; PhD student Xiyue Wang, held since 2016; internet freedom activist Nizar Zakka, held since 2016; and others. The United States has a moral responsibility to devote resources to these hostages and make their return a priority.

This past month, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed H.R. 4744, the Iran Human Rights and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, to increase U.S. leverage by levying new sanctions on those responsible for detaining U.S. citizens or legal permanent respondents in Iran. But more sticks must be complemented with a coordinated diplomatic effort with our allies.

According to media reports, the State Department has increased efforts in recent months to secure the release of these hostages, including outreach to the Iranian regime in December 2017 that has gone unanswered. On April 6, 2018, the Department outlined efforts that have been undertaken in a report to Congress pursuant to Section 110 of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. We request that the Department provide some additional details to Congress. Specifically, please provide answers to the following questions in either written responses or a briefing:

1. How has Iran responded to the various lines of effort made by the U.S., as detailed in the April 6 report to Congress, to raise the detention cases?

2. According to a June 20, 2017, article from the Washington Post, two senior officials from the Trump administration stated a range of options were being considered, which included ``sticks more than carrots.'' What specific tools are being considered to secure the release of detained Americans and permanent U.S. residents?

3. Does the Administration require any new authorities from Congress to utilize these tools?

4. What is the Administration's strategy for disincentivizing and deterring foreign governments, particularly Iran, from taking Americans and permanent U.S. residents hostage in the future?

Thank you for your attention to this important issue. Sincerely,

Ted W. Lieu, Member of Congress; Michael McCaul, Member of Congress; Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Member of Congress; Ted Deutch, Member of Congress; James P. McGovern, Member of Congress; Brian Fitzpatrick, Member of Congress; Donald M. Payne, Jr., Member of Congress; Randy Hultgren, Member of Congress; Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Member of Congress; Jerrold Nadler, Member of Congress; Steve Cohen, Member of Congress; Bobby L. Rush, Member of Congress; David N. Cicilline, Member of Congress; Nita M. Lowey, Member of Congress; Jose E. Serrano, Member of Congress.

Daniel W. Lipinski, Member of Congress; Joe Wilson, Member of Congress; Peter King, Member of Congress; Francis Rooney, Member of Congress; Mark Meadows, Member of Congress; Adriano Espaillat, Member of Congress; Brad Sherman, Member of Congress; Eleanor Holmes Norton, Member of Congress; Lee Zeldin, Member of Congress; Steve Chabot, Member of Congress; Paul Cook, Member of Congress; Eliot Engel, Member of Congress; Ted Poe, Member of Congress; Bradley S. Schneider, Member of Congress; Grace Meng, Member of Congress.

Tom Suozzi, Member of Congress; Pete Sessions, Member of Congress; Albio Sires, Member of Congress; Frank Pallone, Jr., Member of Congress; Thomas A. Garrett, Jr., Member of Congress; John Ratcliffe, Member of Congress; Josh Gottheimer, Member of Congress; Lois Frankel, Member of Congress; Derek Kilmer, Member of Congress; Patrick Meehan, Member of Congress; Leonard Lance, Member of Congress; Randy Weber, Member of Congress; Bill Johnson, Member of Congress; David P. Joyce, Member of Congress; Adam Kinzinger, Member of Congress; Elise Stefanik, Member of Congress.

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