Expressing support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and rule of law, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1457) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the one-year anniversary of the Government of Iran's fraudulent manipulation of Iranian elections, the Government of Iran's continued denial of human rights and democracy to the people of Iran, and the Government of Iran's continued pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous materials on this resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution today, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

House Resolution 1457 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives on the 1-year anniversary of the Government of Iran's manipulation of the Iranian elections, the continued denial of human rights, and their continued pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability. And I would like to thank my friend, Congressman Judge Poe of Texas, for joining me in the introduction of this important resolution.

Madam Speaker, just over a year ago, on June 12, 2009, the world watched as Iran's rulers manipulated and stole an election for their chosen candidate, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Thousands of Iranians took to the streets following that sham presidential election that had been orchestrated for the regime. Following that, we all know what happened. So we speak in this resolution on the anniversary of that disputed election result because I believe, and those who are supporting this resolution believe, that Congress must reaffirm its commitment to supporting democracy and freedom around the world, including in Iran.

We know that as the street protest continued against the fraudulent election and it intensified, the Government of Iran, its riot police, and members of the Revolutionary Guard Corps engaged in a brutal crackdown on the Iranian people. Sadly, many Iranians were injured, imprisoned, or killed.

Human rights in Iran, we know, have deteriorated precipitously over the years since the first election of President Ahmadinejad. But since that disputed presidential election last year,

Iran's slide into what is clearly a brutal dictatorship has sharply accelerated. Iran's Revolutionary Guard, its militia, and its police arbitrarily arrest thousands of peaceful protesters and dissidents, including students, women's rights activists, lawyers, and journalists, in a clear effort to intimidate their critics and stifle dissent. This regime obviously cannot withstand these critics.

But as champions of freedom and democracy, the United States must, must condemn these abuses of this Iranian regime whenever possible as we witness such actions around the world. It is in our Constitution, and it is one of the reasons why we still remain a beacon of light around the world as we stand up for human rights, human rights that have sadly been abused in Iran by this regime.

But it's not just in our Constitution. In the Koran it states: Help one another in a righteousness and goodness way. Help not one another when in sin and aggression.

Clearly, this despotic regime in Iran is engaged in full-time sin and aggression of its own people. But this quote, of course, is from the Koran, which is the book of the major religion of the people of Iran. Yet they violate their own faith in this way.

Madam Speaker, the people of the United States stand behind the people of Iran, who simply want to live their lives in peace and freedom, free of the brutal oppression of their government. Let us be clear: At the end of the day, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is nothing more than a bully and a dictator. His regime uses every tactic they can to subdue and terrorize their own people.

And we need to recognize this phony regime for what it is. It's a killer of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of press. And I believe that when history is written, that the record of this terrorism regime in the 21st century will compare, sadly, to those same brutal dictatorships that we witnessed in the 20th century. I am talking about Hitler, Stalin, Tojo, and Mussolini. That is the level of despotic dictatorship that we are witnessing today in Iran.

So, therefore, this resolution before us confirms Congress's support for all Iranian citizens who struggle for freedom, human rights, and civil liberties. It condemns the ongoing violence and human rights abuses against the people of Iran by their government, and it urges immediate release of all political prisoners detained by this regime.

House Resolution 1457 also calls for freedom and democracy for the people of Iran, including fair, democratic, and independent elections, unlike the ones that were held a year ago. Finally, this resolution condemns the Government of Iran's continued pursuit of nuclear weapons capability and a ballistic missiles program, for clearly we know what they are intended for.

This is especially timely, Madam Speaker, since later this week the House is expected to vote on the conference committee report H.R. 2194. We hope by the end of this week, certainly by next week. The Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 is an important measure. I am proud to be a conferee on the conference committee. This piece of legislation represents, I think, a monumental step toward our fight against Iran's nuclear proliferation. These sanctions reinforce and go far beyond the enacted United Nations sanctions aimed at persuading Iran to change its conduct that was voted on over a week ago.

These tough new petroleum and financial sanctions will restrict the ability of Iran's regime and its thugs to continue their nuclear aspirations and their oppression of the Iranian people. The legislation also increases penalties for sanction violations and bolsters the U.S. trade embargo against Iran. These sanctions will send a strong signal that our Nation will not stand for the escalation of this regime's aims at a nuclear arms program, especially with violent threats against our strategic ally Israel, and the threat of that ally and its impact throughout the regions of Europe and Southeast Asia, along with the Middle East.

Clearly, their medium-range missiles are capable of reaching all of those countries within that area, and, therefore, we stand with Israel and our allies. These sanctions are a powerful step forward. We must continue to take all necessary actions and to keep every option on the table to prevent nuclear arms races in that region.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this important resolution and to send a strong message to Iran and the entire world that America will not stand by while these human rights abuses continue and they continue to pursue nuclear weapons capabilities.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) for his good remarks, as always.

I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Madam Speaker, I, too, want to thank my friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for her strong bipartisan comments on a resolution that there is strong bipartisan support for, as witnessed by the statements here this afternoon.

Make no mistake about it, Madam Speaker, and to those who are listening. This resolution is about human rights violations in Iran. This resolution is about the despotic, sham regime that is currently governing in Iran that is oppressing the people of that country. This resolution speaks to the higher values and goals that are enshrined in our country's Constitution and Bill of Rights, those freedoms that we hold most dear, that are at the end of the day the basis for all human rights, not just in our country but throughout the world.

Therefore, today, the Congress must speak to these human rights violations that are existing in Iran. Today, the Congress must voice its opinion on the despotic rule of this regime, and by passing this resolution in a bipartisan fashion, we will not only put the House of Representatives firmly on record as to the year anniversary of the sham election that took place in Iran, but we will also reiterate our strong support for sanctions against this country that, in fact, is violating these human rights and that is turning its back on the rest of the world.

Make no mistake about it. The Iranian Government today, not its people but the Iranian Government today, is, in my view, the largest concern not only in the Middle East but throughout the world in terms of achieving peace that we all hold most dear. The goals of peace in the Middle East and throughout the world are at greatest risk by the actions and the activities and the supports of terrorist activities by this Iranian regime, whether it be to Hezbollah, whether it be to Hamas, or whether it be to other terrorist groups that it supports in so many different ways because they know at the end of the day they cannot support the family of nations throughout the world in expressing freedoms that we hold most dear.

So I ask my colleagues to support this bipartisan resolution.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I rise in reluctant opposition to H. Res 560, which condemns the Iranian government for its recent actions during the unrest in that country. While I never condone violence, much less the violence that governments are only too willing to mete out to their own citizens, I am always very cautious about ``condemning'' the actions of governments overseas. As an elected member of the United States House of Representatives, I have always questioned our constitutional authority to sit in judgment of the actions of foreign governments of which we are not representatives. I have always hesitated when my colleagues rush to pronounce final judgment on events thousands of miles away about which we know very little. And we know very little beyond limited press reports about what is happening in Iran.

Of course I do not support attempts by foreign governments to suppress the democratic aspirations of their people, but when is the last time we condemned Saudi Arabia or Egypt or the many other countries where unlike in Iran there is no opportunity to exercise any substantial vote on political leadership? It seems our criticism is selective and applied when there are political points to be made. I have admired President Obama's cautious approach to the situation in Iran and I would have preferred that we in the House had acted similarly.

I adhere to the foreign policy of our Founders, who advised that we not interfere in the internal affairs of countries overseas. I believe that is the best policy for the United States, for our national security and for our prosperity. I urge my colleagues to reject this and all similar meddling resolutions.

Madam Speaker, I urge you to support H.R. 560, expressing support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and rule of law and for other purposes. The only effective way to achieve lasting peace and prosperity in the region, along with bringing about reforms in Iran's polity, is to assist the Iranian people in their quest to achieve political, social, and religious liberty. Every government can be judged with the way in which it treats its ethnic and religious minorities, and the current Iranian government gets a failing grade for its treatment of its many and diverse minorities. It is not our position as the United States to determine the outcome of the recent Iranian elections, but as a leader in the international community, we have a responsibility to ensure that the people of Iran have the opportunity to have fair and free elections.

Yet with the results of the recent election, there was no chance for Iranian citizens to participate in democracy. On June 12, 2009 Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was ostensibly re-elected to his second term as President, as a result of the tenth Presidential elections in Iran, held and calculated on June 13, 2009. Subject to official results released by Iran's election headquarters, out of a total of 39,165,191 ballots cast in the presidential election, Ahmadinejad allegedly won 24,527,516 votes, which accounts for approximately 62.6 percent of the votes, while his opponent and former Prime Minister of Iran Mir-Hossein Mousavi purportedly secured only 13,216,411 (37.4 percent) of the votes. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced that he envisions Ahmadinejad as president in the next five years, a comment interpreted as indicating support for Ahmadinejad's reelection.

Just 48 hours after Iranian officials announced incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's landslide 62.6% victory, the situation in Tehran and in regions throughout the country broke out in a wave of violent protests in response to what the people of Iran knew to be a rigged poll.

Yet despite the large-scale civil unrest in response to the rigged elections, the outstretched arm of the Ayatollah extends beyond Tehran. Whereas the size of the crowds protesting reached to more than 1 million people united in outrage at the absence of a fair and free electoral process. Despite the government ban that has been placed on all public gatherings with the purpose of voicing opposition to the outcome of the Iranian presidential elections, the people of Iran have publicly expressed their dissent. Iranians throughout the country have defied Interior Ministry warnings broadcast. Violence has spilled on to the streets of Tehran. To date, 7 Iranians have been killed in violent political unrest. Beyond Tehran, Iranians living in the rural regions are feeling the Ayatollah's pressures to cease all public expression of their discontent with the outcome of the elections. The Iranian people living in the region of Mashad are currently confined to their homes in order to prevent them protesting in the streets. All foreign journalists have now been quarantined and/or made to leave the country.

Following the results of the June l2th Iranian election, President Obama released a statement in reaction to then elections in Iran, stating ``I am deeply troubled by the violence that I've been seeing on television,'' Obama said in Washington. ``I can't state definitively one way or another what happened with respect to the election. But what I can say is that there appears to be a sense on the part of people who were so hopeful and so engaged and so committed to democracy who now feel betrayed.''

Given the absence of fair and free elections, coupled with the government's poor record for transparency and accountability, we have deep cause for concern about the opportunity for free choices and democratic participation for the people of Iran. Despite intensified inspections since 2002, the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) inability, to verify that

Iran's nuclear program is not designed to develop a nuclear weapon is cause for great concern. While Iran states that the intention of its nuclear program is for electricity generation which it feels is vital to its energy security, U.S. officials challenge this justification by stating that ``Iran's vast gas resources make a nuclear energy program unnecessary.''

Establishing a diplomatic dialogue with the Government of Iran and deepening relationships with the Iranian people will only help foster greater understanding between the people of Iran and the people of the United States and would enhance the stability the security of the Persian Gulf region. Furthering President Obama's approach toward continued engagement will reduce the increased threat of the proliferation or use of nuclear weapons in the region, while advancing other U.S. foreign policy objectives in the region. The significance of establishing and sustaining diplomatic relations with Iran cannot be over-emphasized. Avoidance and military intervention cannot be the means through which we resolve this looming crisis.

In conclusion, we must condemn Iran for the absence of fair and free Presidential elections and urge Iran to provide its people with the opportunity to engage in a Democratic election process, by demanding new elections, and ensure that all votes are fairly counted. I look forward to further meaningful discussion and a new foreign policy strategy with regard to Iran when the people of Iran are able to participate in a fair and democratic electoral process.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 560) expressing support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and rule of law, and for other purposes.

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

Every day since Iran's election, the streets of Tehran have been filled with demonstrators, and each day this past week the number seems to be growing. Even state-run media in Iran has put the number of demonstrators in Tehran at ``hundreds of thousands.'' One British newspaper reports that there were a million demonstrators in Tehran yesterday.

What do these demonstrators want? Are they simply in favor of the candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi? Or are they making a more profound statement about the Iranian regime?

Nobody knows exactly. We do know one thing, though: The demonstrators feel their intelligence was insulted and their dignity assaulted by the high-handed manner in which the results of the June 12 election were handled. They want justice. This morning the Supreme Leader offered none.

It is not for us to decide who should run Iran, much less determine the real winner of the June 12 election, but we must reaffirm our strong belief that the Iranian people have a fundamental right to express their views about the future of their country freely and without intimidation.

The Iranian regime is clearly embarrassed by the demonstrations and has not shrunk from using violence to stop them. At least eight demonstrators, and quite likely a number more, have been killed, and hundreds have been injured. The regime has also tried to ban media coverage of the demonstrations. Foreign journalists are consigned to their homes and offices. Several have been expelled from the country. Cell phone coverage has been frequently blocked in order to limit communication among the protesters, and the regime has interfered with the Internet and taken down many opposition Web sites.

We cannot stand silent in the face of this assault on human freedom and dignity. I repeat that we have no interest in interfering in Iran's internal affairs. That era has ended. This resolution affirms the ``universality of individual rights'' as well as ``the importance of democratic and fair elections.'' Beyond that, it simply expresses its solidarity with ``Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law.'' I don't know how many of the demonstrators fall into that category, but I do know that many of them do.

This resolution also condemns the bloody suppression of freedom. It is not a judgment on who won the Iranian elections; it is an acknowledgment that we cannot remain silent when cherished universal principles are under attack.

Mr. Speaker, I want to just offer my appreciation to our ranking member and to the gentleman from Indiana for working together on a resolution which puts the House of Representatives on the side of the people of Iran, and with that, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.

My friend, the ranking member, correctly cited a whole series of very important issues that we and the United

States has with the Government of Iran; and she is correct. Just this quick note about what the gentlelady from Florida pointed out at the end of her comments. The reason I worked to bring this resolution up-- this resolution is not about a recitation of all those issues. It's about an affirmation of something that this House of Representatives has done in places all over the world, whether it is in Tibet or in Cuba or in Eastern Europe or in the Middle East or any other region, to reaffirm our commitment to stand for certain fundamental universal principles involving human rights, participatory democracy and the affirmation of the rights of the people of any country. Today it's about the people of Iran.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to my dear friend, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentlelady from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.

The gentleman for whom I have great respect, the minority whip, spoke about America's moral commitment to speak out on behalf of people yearning for freedom. We have an even higher moral commitment, and that is to do the things that help expand the extent of human freedom around the world. And it is in that context that I know that this House and this administration are pursuing this mission, that higher authority to do the things that produce the greatest likelihood of the expansion of human freedom.

I now yield 2 minutes to a member of the committee, a great Member from the State of Georgia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to my friend from Florida, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Klein.

Mr. Speaker, could I get an assessment or calculation of the remaining time on both sides?

I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson).

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to an excellent member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison).

Mr. Speaker, should I by yielding 1 minute of my time to the gentleman from South Carolina at this point?

And then if you yield time, he'll have all his time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Inglis).

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I would just yield myself such time as I may consume to once again thank the minority for working with us, my ranking member, as well as Mr. Pence, particularly to say that my fondest hope is that on these critical kinds of issues we can establish a bipartisan basis for working together.

And then simply to say that there are many American interests in U.S.-Iranian relationships. This resolution is not about American interests. It's about American values, which I believe are universal values: the values of the rule of law, of participatory democracy, about individual liberty, and about justice. And it is on behalf of those universal values, not American interests, that I urge this body to support this resolution.

General Leave

I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

I rise with a great sense of humility and a great sense of moment before this body but also a great sense of gratitude to the ranking member for her extraordinary leadership in bringing this resolution to the floor, a resolution which, as the chairman of the committee just stated quite eloquently, will give the American people, through their elected representatives, a clear opportunity on this day, after a week of violence and tumult in the nation of Iran, to express the American people's support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties and the rule of law.

I am especially grateful for the leadership and the spirit brought to this legislation by Chairman Howard Berman, with whom I don't agree on very much; but I am grateful that he demonstrates today a public mindedness that I think is in keeping with the best traditions of this institution.

Ronald Reagan would say in 1964, ``You and I are told increasingly that we have to choose between a left or right, but I would like to suggest that there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down: up to a man's age-old dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism.''

Today the leadership of Chairman Howard Berman demonstrates that on the issue of speaking a word of encouragement to those who would stand with extraordinary valor for their own liberty, there is no left or right in this body. It has been, as has been stated before, an extraordinary week in the life of the nation of Iran. On 12 June, just one week ago, from the very moment that the presidential election results were announced, the international community and the international press called the results into question. Chief among the reasons for that was that even before the extraordinary demonstrations had begun, millions of paper ballots had apparently been tallied and counted within a matter of hours. The official government results of the election were met with public consternation among the people of Iran; and while the defeated candidate launched a legal appeal, as the western media has reported, what has ensued on the streets of Iran has been the biggest demonstration in the Islamic Republic's 30-year history. And most sad, following that election day, the actions by the government and militias that support the government have turned to violence. Pro-government forces have attacked demonstrators over the past week, causing fatalities, resulting in the arrest of dissidents. We have heard of foreign reporters prevented from making their way into the public. We've heard of the jamming of electronic communications. For all the world, we may well be witnessing a Tiananmen in Teheran.

It seems to me that in this moment, the people of the United States of America long to be heard; and by dint of House Resolution 560 today through their elected representatives, the American people will have had that opportunity. This resolution simply states that it is resolved that the House of Representatives expresses its support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties and rule of law. It also condemns the ongoing violence against demonstrators by the Government of Iran and pro-government militias, as well as the ongoing suppression of independent electronic communication through interference with the Internet and cell phones. And lastly, it affirms the universality of individual rights and the importance of democratic and fair elections.

I have said many times this week, and it has been echoed by my colleagues, like the Republican Whip Eric Cantor, that the cause of America is freedom; and in this cause, the American people will not be silent. There is no intention here to pick sides in the Iranian election. There is an intention here, in a true spirit of bipartisanship, to allow the American people to be on the side of liberty and to be on the side of freedom. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this legislation because the voice of the American people has before and, I believe in my heart of hearts, will again make a difference in the advancement of human liberty in the world. I urge its support.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding, and again reiterate my gratitude for her expeditious work in bringing this important resolution to the floor on a timely basis, and commend again Chairman Howard Berman for the spirit and thoughtfulness with which he brought this resolution to the floor.

Today, in the wake of a week of extraordinary public demonstrations, violence, and tumult across the nation of Iran, the American people through this Congress will condemn that violence and the suppression of the free and independent press in Iran, and, as the American people have done throughout our history, we will proclaim liberty by supporting all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law in this measure.

I urge my colleagues to support this measure and join us, and, if reports are correct, our colleagues in the Senate who may well come together and give voice on the world stage of the character and compassion and commitment to freedom that is at the heart of every American.

Now, some observers say that America should remain silent in the wake of this violence and the suppression of free speech and the intimidation and suppression of a free and independent press in Iran. But let me say from my heart, the American cause is freedom, and in that cause we must never be silent.

The Iranian regime would do well to note the words of President Ronald Reagan from his first inaugural address 20 January, 1981, where he said, No arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.

Today this Congress, in a true spirit of bipartisanship, will come together on behalf of the moral courage of the men and women of Iran who have tasted freedom and have been willing to risk their liberty and their lives to advance it.

It is my hope and it is my prayer that this word of encouragement from the American people to the Iranian people will be to good effect for that nation and for freedom in the world.

I urge support of this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Judge Poe, an esteemed member of our Committee on Foreign Affairs and the coauthor of this resolution before us.

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

Madam Speaker, in discussions about the Iranian regime's pursuit of a nuclear weapons program, or its state sponsorship of violent extremists, the persecution that the thugs in Tehran inflict on ordinary Iranians, that is sometimes overlooked. This is particularly true on the international stage.

The United Nations Human Rights Council has condemned the democratic Jewish State of Israel over and over again for defending herself, but has not once condemned the Iranian regime's brutality against the Iranian people.

Iran, a regime that stones women to death, was elected by acclamation to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. Let me repeat that again; it is so absurd, it is almost incomprehensible. It is incomprehensible. Iran, a regime that stones women to death, was elected by acclamation to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. This is a Kafkaesque scenario.

So it is all the more important that we in this House stand in solidarity with the Iranian people and with all of those who support and defend human rights, support and defend democracy, support and defend freedom. We must also be clear and steadfast in describing and condemning the Iranian regime's human rights abuses, of which there are many.

Those in power in Tehran practice torture, flogging, rape, amputation, and murder. The regime conducts systematic, official discrimination against women, Baha'is, Christians, Jews, dissident Muslims, and many others. No one is exempt.

All seven members of the national Baha'i leadership in Iran remain in prison, where they have been held unjustly for 2 years and are on trial for trumped-up charges that potentially carry the death penalty. Gay people are hanged from cranes, even as their very existence in Iran is denied by Ahmadinejad.

Since the sham ``elections''--using the term loosely--1 year ago, the regime has intensified its repression, increasing restrictions on the freedom of religion, expression, association, assembly and the press.

What is left?

Thousands of protesters, dissidents, journalists have been arbitrarily detained or killed, with innocent people shot on the street, and the Stalinesque show-trials continue.

Even Iranians who succeed in fleeing their country are reportedly still in danger as agents of the Iranian regime threaten with death if they continue to speak out and protest human rights violations by Tehran.

Despite this repression, the people of Tehran continue to put their lives on the line in pursuit of freedom, and the United States and other responsible nations must stand with them. There are many further steps we can take to help at this critical time. Above all, we must do no harm. Negotiation with the regime legitimizes its illegitimate leaders and distracts attention from their repressive acts.

We must hit the regime where it hurts by fully implementing sanctions targeting the regime's vulnerabilities, both existing sanctions and the new ones that Congress will soon enact. The same refined petroleum products and other petro-dollars that bankrolled the regime's weapons program also bankrolled its repression of human rights. Requiring the immediate implementation and enforcement of comprehensive sanctions can help stop both of these threats.

We must also support those who seek human rights for Iran and monitor abuses, such as the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, which has actually seen its funding cut. And as the beacon of liberty and democracy to the entire world, the United States must do our duty to name and shame the guilty. Because we must take an all-of-the-above approach to this issue, I introduced H.R. 4649, the bipartisan Iran Human Rights Sanctions Act which was introduced in the Senate by John McCain and Joe Lieberman. That legislation requires the President to designate and sanction those who violate the human rights of Iranians. I am gratified that some versions of this bill will be included in the Iran sanctions conference report that Congress will soon consider.

And given the importance of human rights for the Iranian people and worldwide, I am proud to strongly support the resolution before us today, H. Res. 1457. This resolution marks the 1-year anniversary of the Iranian people's mass uprising against the regime's fraud, manipulation, and repression; and it also condemns the regime's brutality.

Furthermore, the resolution reaffirms our support for all Iranians who courageously struggle for freedom. It urges the immediate release of all political prisoners and calls for freedom and democracy for the people of Iran, including fair, democratic and independent elections.

I would like to thank the authors of this resolution, distinguished members of our Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe). This legislation builds on a resolution that Judge Poe introduced 6 months ago, as well as a resolution introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul). I appreciate the long-standing efforts of all of these Members on this important issue.

Ultimately, the purpose of this resolution reflects the words of Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, words that are salient to

any discussion on the status of human rights in Iran under that brutal regime: ``We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.''

With these words in mind, we must take sides. We must act together in support of the people of Iran. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.