Scalise: $6 Billion for Iran is $6 Billion for Hamas

Press Release

"Mr. Chairman, if you look at this piece of legislation, both the bill and the underlying amendment, if you go back to when this $6 billion swap for $6 billion in cash was initially negotiated earlier this year, many could argue, myself included, that it was an ill-advised negotiation back then, and this was prior to the invasion of Israel by Hamas.

But I think it's important to understand the context. Anybody in the world knows that Iran is the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, including funding Hamas. So the idea that you can just take Hamas and keep it separate from Iran has always been a farce. Iran funds Hamas, and everybody knows it. So the idea that you would be negotiating in August or September to help Iran get $6 billion boggles the mind, prior to the invasion and attacks on Israel. After the attacks, the administration should be joining us in supporting this bill. We shouldn't even need the bill. The administration should be standing there saying we're not giving them the money anymore.

And who's the money going to? The president of Iran has already told you what he's going to do with the $6 billion. You've got the Biden administration saying: "Don't worry, it's all about humanitarian aid.' The problem is, the people that are going to be getting the $6 billion aren't saying that. Mr. Chairman, the president of Iran himself went on TV, [NBC], said: "This money belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran. And we naturally will decide, the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide to spend it wherever we need it.'

They can give it to Hamas tomorrow if they got this money, and the President of Iran said so. I don't care what John Kerry says when he flies around over there or what Joe Biden might even say, because once the President of Iran gets the $6 billion, it's his money. And he said he's going to do whatever he wants with it. Why would we give it to him today? We shouldn't have even thought about giving it to him prior to the attacks by Hamas in October. We surely shouldn't be thinking about it today.

And thank goodness in this House we're going to take a vote and we're going to pass this bill. And hopefully it's an overwhelming bipartisan vote to send it to the Senate and help wake up our Senate friends to say this is a position that we should be vocal on, as they still haven't figured out what to do with funding for Iran. We passed a bipartisan bill to help Israel get the funding that they need to push back on the attacks, to go get more hostages as we're seeing. We're hearing senators talking about a permanent ceasefire or more conditions. We ought to be all coming together to support Israel and whatever tools they need. And this House has been vocal -- in a pretty bipartisan way -- almost every step of the way to do that. Today can be another one of those moments where we don't just stand up to Hamas, but we stand up to the group who funds Hamas as well.

Everybody knows who funds Hamas: It's Iran. $6 billion dollars going to the president who said he's going to take the money for whatever purposes he wants -- they shouldn't get the money. Let's keep it; let's continue to support our great ally in that region at the time they need it the most. We will be there with Israel every step of the way, with all the tools they need to be successful at destroying this terrorist organization, Hamas, and anybody else who wants to join with them.

And helping embolden terrorism against Jews [is] the anti-semitism we see growing not just in the Middle East, but here in this country as well. We all ought to be vocal with one united voice against it. It's wrong. Let's stand with Israel. Let's stand with our friends. And let's stand against anybody who wants to support terrorism around the world. Let's pass this amendment. Let's pass the bill. And let's get the Senate to put this bill on the President's desk."

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