Rescission of Certain Waivers and Licenses Relating to Iran

Floor Speech

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Mr. PFLUGER. Mr. Speaker, the theme that we are talking about right now is a complete overturning of a maximum pressure campaign on Iran from 2017 through the end of 2020.

In 2021, we began a new theme, and that theme was appeasement: appeasement of Iran; appeasement of its policies; an overturning of the JCPOA; a message to the world that: We trust you, Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism on the globe. We don't think you are going to do anything.

That strategy has clearly not worked.

Mr. Speaker, I want to go back in time to September 11, 2023. Instead of mourning our Nation and standing firm against terrorism, the President of the United States took the anniversary of 9/11 as an opportunity to give Iran, the world's leading sponsor of terrorism, a $6 billion present.

It is no coincidence that shortly following this foreign policy faux pas, the Iranian-backed terrorist group was emboldened to launch a barbaric attack against our democratic ally, Israel, murdering over 1,400 innocent civilians and abducting hundreds of hostages, some of whom still remain inside Gaza.

In the 6 months following those attacks on that fateful morning of October 7, Iran's proxies--Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, the Shia militia groups, and others--have continued carrying out terrorist attacks against Israel and the Middle East, culminating in Iran's direct and unprecedented attack this past weekend against Israel.

When it comes to foreign policy, the theme that I mentioned, a turning away from maximum pressure, a turning away from deterrence, a turning away from holding a hard line and toward appeasement, the President has gotten it wrong every single time.

In fact, on September 10, 2001, one day before the attacks on 9/11, then-Senator Joe Biden criticized President Bush's proposed missile defense system as dangerous and potentially disastrous and that it weakens us.

In reality, President Biden's decades-long strategy of appeasement is what weakens us. His choices have made our country less safe. They have resulted in the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. They have emboldened our adversaries to attack around the world.

When asked what his message to Iran was in the lead-up to a possible attack on Israel, that we knew about, the President simply said: ``Don't.''

Well, Mr. President, they did.

I agree with my colleague, the ranking member, that innocent human life is important. The disagreement at this point in time is that we have had 3-plus years of a strategy of appeasement that has not resulted in deterrence. It has weakened our interest, our allies, Israel and others, not just in the region but throughout the world.

I want to talk about electricity. Yes, Iraq needs electricity. The fact is that the waiver given by Secretary Pompeo at the end of the Trump administration was predicated on the theory that Iraq would reform its electricity system and this would not be needed for a long time. This was 4 years ago.

At what point is there accountability?

At what point after waiver and waiver and waiver given do we cut the dependency; do we reform the system; do we make sure that the Iraqi citizens have what they need?

This administration has taken the opposite approach.

When you look in the news just today, everyone around the world, all the major organizations, the major nation-states, are considering additional sanctions on Iran. They understand that appeasement doesn't work. The U.N., the G7, and even France have made the decision to enforce stronger sanctions with no waivers.

President Biden over 3 years ago made a decision to go from maximum pressure on Iran that resulted in unprecedented deterrence and peace to a strategy of appeasement.

The examples are many. Appeasement and weakness have led to chaos and aggression. In fact, every intelligence briefing, every national security pundit, every talking head on TV, every person who knows anything about this subject has said the same consistent theme for 3- plus years, that the threat from the Iranian regime toward the United States and our allies and partners and our interests has only increased. It culminated this weekend with an unprecedented drone attack.

We are so lucky, along with our brothers and sisters in arms, the U.S. military and our partners like the Jordanians and the Israelis, that the air defense systems worked, that these brave airmen and these brave air defense personnel were able to take out these drones and prevent not a single loss of life, to prevent the death of anyone inside Israel. It is unbelievable that that was able to happen.

The reason that we are doing this, I believe, is because the Founders of this country knew that there would be a time when checks and balances had to be issued, there would be a time when we had to have a check on the executive branch because they got it wrong.

This doesn't have to be a partisan exercise. In fact, I hope it is bipartisan. I hope that we can all join together and say we don't believe in appeasement, that that strategy has not worked. They have had 3\1/2\ years to see if it works, and it doesn't.

Now is the time to stand fast. Now is the time to come together and to check the executive branch and to pass legislation that prevents the rescission of these waivers that prevents the $6 billion gift and other gifts from funding the Iranian war machine, the terror war machine that is sowing chaos across the Middle East and even broader than that region.

If we remember back to September 11, then we know this threat is real. Let's believe the Iranians when they have threatened us over the weekend. Let's believe their threats, but let's not cower to their threats. Let's stand strong. Let's show deterrence.

Not a single dollar should be allowed to go to the Iranian Government. Not a single dollar should be allowed to go to the largest arbiter of terrorism on the planet.

I hope my colleagues across the aisle will join in regaining our Article I authority, will join in asserting American leadership around the globe, to send a strong message not just to Iran but to other would-be adversaries, that we are serious about defending freedom, that we are serious about defending Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East.

My legislation permanently freezes all Iranian-sanctioned assets and prevents the President from using any waiver authority, including licenses and guidance and otherwise, to lift sanctions.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand strong, to support this legislation, to pass H.R. 5947, to protect Israel, and to stop the Iranian war machine.

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