Calling for the unconditional release of United States citizens and legal permanent resident aliens being held for political purposes by the Government of Iran.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4744) to impose additional sanctions with respect to serious human rights abuses of the Government of Iran, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on H.R. 4744, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, in January this body came together. It was a near unanimous vote to support the Iranian people, who were engaged in legitimate protests against a very oppressive regime. I want to thank Mr. Mike McCaul here, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Mr. Eliot Engel, the ranking member of our Committee on Foreign Affairs, for their engagement in this issue.

At the time, we were witnessing tens of thousands of Iranians who had taken to the streets in the largest demonstration that we had seen since the Green Revolution of 2009. The protests, aimed at economic stagnation, aimed at widespread corruption--and people were talking about that all the time--aimed at the Revolutionary Guard Corps' control over that economy because they had nationalized, seized, so much of that economy. And quickly we saw that spread across Iran, as Persians sought to exercise the fundamental right of freedom of expression, as people across that country, of every ethnicity and every religion, began to speak out.

Many demonstrators shouted slogans aimed at Iran's costly support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad, if you recall, from reading the press accounts. And they attacked, they argued about the cost, the support that went to the terrorist groups such as Hezbollah. Predictably, the Iranian regime moved swiftly to quash the demonstrations and throttle social media.

More than 1,000 Iranians were jailed, dozens were killed. H. Res. 676 condemned this brutal violence back in January, called for targeted sanctions to hold the regime to account. But today we act to make good on that call, because the bill before us today, Chairman McCaul's H.R. 4744, requires the administration to determine whether senior Iranian officials should be sanctioned for human rights abuses. And it also requires determinations on whether Iranian businesses should be sanctioned for public corruption with respect to those who are involved in corruption. And it mandates sanctions on those officials responsible for Iran's wrongful, politically motivated jailing of U.S. citizens.

Mr. Speaker, for years the regime in Tehran has systematically beat down all opposition inside Iran. It regularly uses brutal tactics back in Iran, including torture and mass executions, as it seeks to export violence and radical ideology abroad as well. I think all of us can think back to that 1979 revolution and contemplate how much better Iran would have been had it not went off onto a path of becoming a rogue state.

As this legislation details, today the regime flagrantly disregards commitments it has made to respect the fundamental rights of the Iranian people. Many of us recall the barbaric mass executions carried out over a 4-month period in 1988. And I dare say, if you know any Persians, if you know people who escaped from Iran, you know that, during that period of time leading up to 1988, there were over 30,000 students and young professionals who lost their lives as a consequence.

We know that the political prisoners there went through a grueling experience, in Evin Prison and other prisons. Many were executed by hanging, many by firing squad. They refused to renounce their political affiliations, and that was the fate that was handed out to them.

And today the regime still persecutes ethnic and religious minority groups; such as, the Baha'i; Christians, of course; Sufi; Sunni; dissenting Shia Muslims. And we all remember the way the ayatollah brutally suppressed the peaceful political dissent during the Green Revolution, during which the previous administration remained embarrassingly silent, in my view. And many of us here on this floor today spoke up often at that time about that dissent during the Green Revolution, because I think this was a real opportunity missed by the United States.

So again, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman McCaul and I want to thank Ranking Member Engel for their leadership on this legislation. I am glad we have strong bipartisan support for this measure. Regardless of how one views the Iran nuclear agreement, it is critical that the United States and our allies continue to press Iran for its dangerous and threatening acts that fall outside of the JCPOA.

This is an area where officials from both the Trump and Obama administrations agree, and they agree for good reason here. Remember, this is the same regime that is holding American citizens, including one who is in very poor health, on sham charges in one of the largest ransom schemes, from my standpoint, that was ever devised.

This regime, of course, held its first American hostages in 1979, when it overran our U.S. Embassy. The regime's MO remains the same. It is far past time the regime faced consequences for its attacks on Iranians and Americans alike.

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

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, April 13, 2018.

Hon. Edward R. Royce,

Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Royce: I am writing with respect to H.R.

4744, the ``Iran Human Rights and Hostage-Taking

Accountability Act,'' on which Ways and Means was granted an

additional referral.

As a result of your having consulted with us on provisions

in H.R. 4744 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the

Committee on Ways and Means, I agree to waive formal

consideration of this bill so that it may move expeditiously

to the floor. The Committee on Ways and Means takes this

action with the mutual understanding that we do not waive any

jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or

similar legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately

consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation

moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues

that fall within our jurisdiction. The Committee also

reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate

number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving

this or similar legislation, and requests your support for

such request.

Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter

confirming this understanding, and would ask that a copy of

our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the

Congressional Record during floor consideration of H.R. 4744.

Sincerely,

Kevin Brady,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and the author of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), who chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.

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

In closing, I would again like to thank my colleagues, Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Engel, for their bipartisan leadership to hold Iran accountable, to hold them accountable for their brutality: their brutality in the 1988 massacres, and their brutality in terms of the way they are treating their religious minorities today.

We know that Americans formerly imprisoned by Iran describe being subjected to electric shock and whippings. We have heard that before our committee. We have heard them say that they were denied medical care.

Today, U.S. citizens, such as Siamak and Baqer Namazi, Xiyue Wang, and U.S. permanent resident Nazar Zaka, are all sitting in Iranian jails on bogus accusations of collaborating with a hostile government for espionage. And U.S. citizen Robert Levinson is still missing, and that is more than 10 years after he disappeared in Iran. Our hearts go out to these victims and our hearts go out to their families as we renew our call for the immediate release of all U.S. citizens and permanent residents held in Iran.

With this legislation, we will impose tough sanctions on the regime. And we do that for its corruption, for its attacks on innocent Americans, and for its attacks on Iranians alike.

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

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

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.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce, as well as my good friend, the ranking member, Mr. Engel, for their help in bringing H. Res. 317 to the floor today and for their tireless efforts to hold the Iranian regime accountable for all of its illicit activity, including the taking of American citizens and U.S. legal permanent residents as hostages. They have been incredible supporters of this movement, and I thank them for their unwavering support.

Of course, I want to thank Ranking Member Nita Lowey for her help--I had the opportunity of meeting one of the family members with her before this presentation--and Judge Poe, who is always at our side; and my south Florida colleague and my dear friend, Ted Deutch, the ranking member on our Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee. We have all joined together in authoring and introducing this resolution.

The resolution, Mr. Speaker, is important for all of us. But for Ted Deutch, for my friend from south Florida, I know how very personal this is for him because it is his constituent, Bob Levinson, who continues to be held by Iran 10 years after his disappearance.

Just yesterday, Ted and I convened a hearing in our Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee with some of the family members who are named in this very resolution.

Doug Levinson, for example, Bob's youngest child, testified.

Babak Namazi, son of Baquer and brother of Siamak testified.

Omar Zakka, son of Nizar, testified.

All three of them testified before our subcommittee, and their stories were moving, they were heartfelt, and they were heartbreaking. Each one, along with their families, forced to live in their own personal hell.

In Doug Levinson's case, Mr. Speaker, he presented photos, emails, even videos of his father who, after more than 10 years, is the Nation's longest held hostage in our history. What a sad distinction.

We heard how Iran has reportedly and repeatedly failed to live up to its promise to assist in Bob's case and help return him to his loved ones, including the five grandchildren that Bob has yet to meet.

We heard Omar plead for his father's life, as Nizar is now 1 month into his fifth hunger strike. But this time, Mr. Speaker, Nizar has vowed that there will be no turning back. Nizar says that he will continue with his hunger strike for himself and the others who are unjustly held by Iran, stating, it is ``liberty or death; there is no turning back.''

So can you imagine, Mr. Speaker, being 19 years old, a teenager, and he is testifying in front of us yesterday, and he is hearing his father say that he is willing to die in Iran in pursuit of truth and justice, and his throat was breaking as he is testifying in front of us.

We also heard Babak distress over the health of his father and his brother, two loved ones. Mr. Namazi's father has lost more than 30 pounds in Iran's notorious prisons. He is 81 years old. He suffers from a severe heart condition. He had to be hospitalized twice in just the past few months. Babak fears that his father's physical and mental condition--they are both rapidly deteriorating.

His brother, he fears, has given up hope because of the horrific conditions he is being held under. He is kept in isolation. He is mentally abused. He is physically abused. That is horrifying. That is heartbreaking.

Though we heard the sorrow in their voices, Mr. Speaker, we also heard defiance and determination. Defiant in accepting the Iranian regime's absurd claims against Bob, against Baquer, against Siamak, against Nizar; defiant in accepting that their fates are sealed, that there is nothing more that can be done; defiant in remaining silent as their loved ones suffer under the terror regime in Tehran.

We saw their determination--determination as each of the witnesses before us yesterday vowed that their fight is not nearly over, that they remain determined that they can force the return of their loved ones.

And they looked to us, Mr. Speaker, they looked to us to use our positions as Members of the United States House of Representatives to pressure the Iranian regime to release all American citizens, all American legal permanent residents, unconditionally.

They looked to us to demand that Iran be held accountable for its tactic of taking our people hostage in order to get financial or political concessions. They looked to us to stand up and to decry this practice for what it is--morally corrupt, ethically corrupt, and legally wrong.

That is why Nita, and Ted, and Judge Poe, and Chairman Royce, and Ranking Member Engel, and I introduced this resolution before us today, and that is why Ted and I convened our hearing yesterday; and that is why, today, I am urging all of our colleagues to stand in solidarity with us, with the family members, with the hostages, and demand that Iran release all American citizens and legal permanent residents that it is holding hostage immediately and unconditionally.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that our colleagues will indeed stand with us. I hope that this resolution sends a strong message to Iran that this practice will not be tolerated. And I hope that it sends a strong message to our own administration that Congress is heavily invested in the fate of Americans being held by Iran and that we will demand action to win their unconditional release, their immediate release.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 317) calling for the unconditional release of United States citizens and legal permanent resident aliens being held for political purposes by the Government of Iran, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material in the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, this particular resolution calls for the unconditional release of American citizens and legal permanent residents that are being held as prisoners right now, being held in jail by the Iranian regime.

I would like to begin by thanking the ranking member and the chair of our Middle East Subcommittee--and that is both Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the chair, who is with us, and Mr. Ted Deutch--for their tireless work on behalf of these victims and on behalf of the families. They have introduced this resolution along with Congresswoman Nita Lowey and Congressman Judge Ted Poe.

The reason for it, as you all know, is that Iran just continues to engage in this despicable practice of detaining people who are visiting Iran, and then they come up with fabricated criminal charges, and then these innocent people are held captive; but not just held captive, it is the brutal conditions which they find themselves in.

When we have talked to those and they have shown us what they have been through, these former prisoners in Iran, these Americans, they describe being subjected to electric shock, to forced drug withdrawal, through whippings, solitary confinement, they are denied medical care oftentimes, and routinely forced to sleep on the floor, if they are permitted to sleep at all.

Right now we have a number of U.S. citizens, Siamak and Baquer Namazi, Xiyue Wang, and U.S. permanent resident Nizar Zakka.

These U.S. citizens and permanent residents were imprisoned after being falsely accused of collaborating with a hostile government or accused of espionage. Their families are paralyzed with fear about how they are being treated.

Why is Iran so intent on holding Americans on bogus politicized charges?

It is because the Iranian regime believes it can use detained Americans as leverage to demand concessions, like ransom or sanctions relief, in violation of the International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages.

U.S. citizen Robert Levinson, he is still missing, and this is after 10 years. He disappeared 10 years ago in Iran, and Iran has not remotely fulfilled its commitment to try to help locate him.

Our committee has held multiple hearings with these prisoners' families, most recently yesterday, when family Members testified before our Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, and we thank them for their bravery in sharing their stories.

We stand in solidarity with these citizens and with their families as we call for their release. We can't imagine the horror that one would be experiencing, but our hearts are with you, and we are committed to advocate on behalf of you and your loved ones.

H. Res. 317 calls on Iran to let these Americans, and all individuals being unjustly detained by Iran, come home. And it also calls on Iran to fulfill its many promises to help find Bob Levinson. It also urges the President to prioritize release of these captives and encourages him to take meaningful action to secure their release.

Last week, the administration called on Iran to release these unjustly detained U.S. citizens, or to face new and serious consequences. We appreciate the administration's actions so far and, with this resolution, urge continual attention to this matter until all of these prisoners have been safely returned to their families.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), who chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, the author of this measure.

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe). He is the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would just say that the individuals that we are talking about, the Americans that are being held in captivity and their families, have been suffering for far too long. I think our country needs to take decisive action to secure their release, and I believe that we have got to make sure that Iran and all other hostile actors who would follow Iran down this road know that taking U.S. prisoners does not pay.

I again thank Mr. Engel and the gentlewoman and gentleman from Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Ted Deutch, for their leadership, along with Nita Lowey and Ted Poe.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution as the next step toward bringing these innocent people back home to the United States, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise in support of this measure. Let me thank Chairman Royce, because here again is another piece of legislation from the Foreign Affairs Committee that we have shown we can work together within a bipartisan manner; so I am pleased to stand with the chairman.

I am also pleased to stand with the gentlewoman from Florida, former chairman, and my good friend as well, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. She is now chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, along with the resolution's other lead sponsors, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee's ranking member, and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

We are here today to talk about Americans illegally detained by the Iranian regime, and those Americans have had no stronger champions than the Members I have mentioned before through the years.

Mr. Speaker, it is just outrageous that the Government of Iran continues to hold American citizens and residents on trumped-up charges.

Siamak Namazi and his 80-year-old father, a former UNICEF official in poor health; Baquer Namazi; Karan Vafadari, an American citizen, and his wife, Afarin Niasari; Nizar Zakka, who was detained after attending a conference at Iran's invitation; another American citizen who has been kept anonymous by family for fear of that person's well-being; and, of course, Robert Levinson, who disappeared in Iran more than 10 years ago. How cruel--10 years. His family doesn't know where he is. His family doesn't know how he is.

This is a regime, the Iranian regime, which talks about piety and religion, and they don't have any feeling of humankind from one person to another.

The detainment and disappearance of these people, and citizens of America's friends and allies, the pain and suffering and uncertainty that their families endure every single day, and the lack of cooperation and information coming out of Tehran, are a pretty clear indication of how this regime operates and what its values are.

The measure we are considering today underscores what Congress has said before: This behavior is unacceptable, and it must stop. We call on the government in Iran to release these men and women immediately, without precondition.

The people of Iran are the real captives of this regime, but these American citizens are our citizens, and we demand their release. The Government of Iran must do what it has long promised by providing information on the disappearance of Robert Levinson, and we urge the Trump administration to make resolving this issue a top priority.

So I am glad to stand with my colleagues on both sides to support this measure. I, again, thank my friend from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for, as always, outstanding, stellar, and heartfelt work on these issues.

I thank Chairman Royce again, and all the people I mentioned before.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), my esteemed colleague, friend, and ranking member of the Appropriations Committee. We have districts that are adjoining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), who has worked tirelessly to free his constituent from the Iranian regime.

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday this House spoke in no uncertain terms, in a bipartisan fashion, about what we think of Iran's dangerous and destabilizing

behavior. An overwhelming bipartisan majority voted to slap tough new sanctions on Iran for its ballistic missile program, for the regime's support for terrorism, and for the awful record of human rights abuses against the Iranian people.

Tehran should know that we mean business. We will not back down on any of these issues, and we certainly will not forget that Americans are being wrongfully held.

I am glad to go on record once again, along with my colleagues, Chairman Royce, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Nita Lowey, everyone who has spoken today, shining a line on this abuse, to put it front and center in our foreign policy, to call on Iran's leaders to release these people, and to say they will not be forgiven as long as these people are unlawfully held.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' I am happy that we are bringing this important issue to the fore, and I yield back the balance of my time.