Stopping Cash Payments to Iran
WASHINGTON, DC –House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) today went to the House floor to urge passage of H.R. 5931, the Prohibiting Future Ransom Payments to Iran Act. H.R. 5931 passed the House 254-163.
Remarks:
“Mr. Chairman, back in June of 2015, President Obama said, and I quote, 'It is United States policy to deny hostage takers the benefits of ransom, prisoner releases, policy changes or other acts of concession.' That was back in 2015. Of course, just six months later, President Obama released seven Iranians and sent $400 million in cash to Iran in exchange for Americans held hostage. When the initial word came that $400 million was sent in unmarked bills on an unmarked plane to in essence exchange that money for American hostages, it sent a chilling signal all across the world. Not only was the administration completing a prisoner swap, but the administration was actually cowering to the Iranians' request for a cash payment. $400 million was converted into European currency, flown through Geneva, and transferred to the Iranians just as the American hostages were released. But what we heard from the White House were denials – actually calling us out saying it wasn't a ransom payment despite the clearly coordinated series of events.
“Mr. Chairman, we've learned that the President's own Justice Department warned that this cash payment would signal a change in U.S. ransom policy. And of course the Iranians themselves consider it a ransom payment. In fact, the Iranians bragged that they received cash ransom from the United States.
“Nonetheless, the administration continues to refuse to confront this problem and we've seen that play out. Since this hostage ransom payment, more Americans and other westerners have been taken hostage because the President put a bounty on the heads of Americans and other westerners. We've also learned that there's another $1.3 billion that was sent to Iran in cash. The administration said there was no other way to send the payment – that they couldn't wire it. But of course, since then we've learned that there have been wire transfers made to Iran, so the President continued to mislead the American people about this serious breach of American protocol as it deals with Iran.
“Now a serious question to answer, Mr. Chairman, is where is that $1.7 billion going? And not if, but how much of that $1.7 billion is going to end up in the hands of Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist organizations? Because after all, Iran is the largest state sponsor of terror. I think these are all important questions that need to be answered, Mr. Chairman. All of these serious questions need to be answered by the administration which has continued throughout this entire process misleading the American people about what really happened and the American people are demanding answers. This bill by Chairman Royce is a serious response to stop these kinds of cash ransom payments from ever happening again, to make America more safe.”