Iran Sanctions Extension Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of this measure.

Let me again thank our chairman, Ed Royce, for his leadership on the Foreign Affairs Committee. I also want to thank the leadership on both sides of the aisle for working together to get this bipartisan bill to the floor. Our foreign affairs legislation and particularly sanctions-- we have said this before, but I want to say it again--always work best when there is bipartisan support.

Since the Iran nuclear deal was struck more than a year ago, I have consistently said two things: one, I didn't agree with the deal, but that, once it was in effect, we should try to make it work rather than try to undermine it; two, we should keep looking for ways to hold Iran's feet to the fire on all of the other bad behavior issues-- support for terrorism, ballistic missiles, human rights abuses, and all of those kinds of things.

This legislation--I am happy to say--fits the bill. We can provide the administration tools to crack down on Iran and still be fully compliant with our obligations under the nuclear deal. After all, the exact language in this bill is already law on the books. The Iran Sanctions Extension Act is a simple, clean extension of current law.
The legislation, which has been reauthorized with large bipartisan support since 1996, demands that Iran abandon its nuclear weapons program, cease its ballistic program, and stop its support for terrorism. All of these remain threats to the United States and to our allies.

The current law is set to expire on December 31 of this year. We don't want to let the Iran Sanctions Act lapse. We don't want Iran's leaders to think we have lost focus on their other dangerous activities around the world--that we don't mind when they launch ballistic missiles that are emblazoned with the words, in Hebrew, ``Israel must be wiped out.'' They must not think that we will look the other way when they smuggle weapons to the Houthis in Yemen, who, last month, fired two cruise missiles at a U.S. naval destroyer.

This is a critical moment in the region. There is no end in sight for Hezbollah's support for the Assad regime. Iran is sowing instability throughout Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and the Gulf; and, more and more, our friends and allies are unsure about the future of America's resolve. We need to send a clear message that American leadership is a sure thing.

We all went to school when we were kids, and we learned about the separation of powers. The legislative branch--this Congress--has an important say and an important role to play, and we will continue to do that.
This legislation will provide for an immediate snapback of sanctions should Iran cheat on the nuclear deal. These sanctions must be in place to demonstrate to Iran that there are consequences for noncompliance.
In 10 years, when this legislation expires, we will have another discussion. I sincerely hope that, by then, Iran will have acceded to every demand of the international community's to stop its ballistic missile program and will have put an end to its destabilizing activities around the region. In the meantime, hopes won't safeguard our interests. That is why I support this legislation. That is why we wrote this legislation. I urge my colleagues to do the same in supporting it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

In closing, let me say, with the upcoming transition, we are wading into some uncertain waters when it comes to foreign policy. Congress must do its part to ensure stability and consistency on core, foreign policy issues. There is no better example of that stability than this legislation, which has been on the books for two decades.

I thank Chairman Royce for bringing it up. I am proud to be the leading cosponsor with him on the bill. I think this again shows the bipartisan nature of our committee and on foreign policy and how foreign policy ought to be done.

This bill will help ease the way forward with our own transition. It will remind Iran's leaders that we still have a lot of contentious issues to deal with; and it will signal to the world that even after a hard-fought election here at home and power changing hands, American leadership on the global stage won't falter.

Again, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for moving this legislation so quickly. I urge a ``yes'' vote and quick action in the Senate. I hope President Obama will sign this bill and extend this important law.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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