Iran Freedom Support Act

IRAN FREEDOM SUPPORT ACT -- (House of Representatives - April 26, 2006)

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 282) to hold the current regime in Iran accountable for its threatening behavior and to support a transition to democracy in Iran, as amended.

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Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New Jersey?

There was no objection.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in very strong support of H.R. 282, the Iran Freedom Support Act. And I want to thank our colleague from Florida, Chairman Ros-Lehtinen, for sponsoring this important legislation. I am proud to be an original cosponsor.

The United States and the world community, Madam Speaker, are at a crucial point in our efforts to prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons. Let us be clear: Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons will be a devastating blow to peace and security not only in the Middle East but in the entire world.

Iran has been designated, as we know, as a ``State Sponsor of Terrorism'' for over two decades. The Department of State has declared in its most recent Country Reports on Terrorism that Iran ``remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism in the world.'' Iran maintains ``a high profile role,'' they go on to say, ``in encouraging antiIsraeli terrorist activity, both rhetorically and operationally,'' according to the State Department. Supreme religious leader Khamenei does not just praise Palestinian terrorist operations; Iran also provides Lebanese and Palestinian terrorist groups, most notably Hamas, with funding, safe haven, training, and weapons. Iran has now pledged to contribute $50 million to Hamas so that the Hamas regime in Palestine can continue to resist international pressure to recognize Israel's right to exist.

In October Iran's President Ahmadinejad called for Israel to be ``wiped off the map.'' In December he declared the Holocaust ``a myth.'' Last Monday he attacked Israel as a ``fake regime'' that ``cannot logically continue to live.'' Can we doubt that such people are capable of carrying out their threats if they ever acquire the means to do so? Have we learned nothing in 60 years?

This prudent measure will strengthen our sanctions regime against Iran's nuclear weapons proliferation. To keep up economic pressure, the bill tightens the existing sanctions against Iran by requiring a yes-or-no decision on whether to impose sanctions on firms reported to be making investments in the Iranian petroleum sector. The bill also amends the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act, or ILSA, Public Law 104-172, to eliminate the 5-year sunset clause included in the original ILSA. We should certainly not give the Iranians the impression that they can wait us out on the sanctions issue.

The bill requires that all bilateral U.S. sanctions, controls, and regulations on Iran related to weapons of mass destruction remain in effect until Iran has verifiably dismantled its WMD programs. The bill also provides the means and moral pressure to encourage American investors and American pension plans to divest from companies that invest in Iran's energy sector. Such investment can be a powerful tool in our efforts to stop Iran's march towards nuclear weapons.

In February, Madam Speaker, H. Con. Res. 341 passed overwhelmingly by this House, 404-4. We called on all members of the U.N. Security Council, in particular the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, to take expeditious action in response to Iran's noncompliance with the mandate of the Security Council, and it calls on ``all responsible members of the international community'' to impose economic sanctions designed to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons.

We were severely criticized by many members of the world community, Madam Speaker, for not relying on the Security Council and on sanctions in our confrontation with Saddam Hussein. Now is the time for the world community, for China and Russia especially, to show that they are indeed responsible members of the international community and take effective action to stop this terrorist regime in Iran.

Time is running out. The world needs to act now. The Bush administration deserves high praise for working with our friends to get Iran to the Security Council where once again next week it will be on the agenda.

This bill renews our call for diplomatic and multilateral action and will strengthen the President's hand with our international partners.

Finally, we must work to change Iran itself by working to promote democracy and human rights within Iran. This bill authorizes the President to provide democracy assistance to individuals who are working through exclusively peaceful means to support democracy and promote democracy in Iran. It does not in any way authorize the use of force.

The bill was introduced, as I noted, by our friend and colleague Ms. Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, who has devoted tremendous efforts to secure its passage. She now has 360 cosponsors. Chairman Hyde had asked her to manage the bill, but she has a family emergency in Florida that required her to leave for Florida and to be with her family. Our thoughts and prayers are with her during this time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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