Ed Royce: “The administration is arguing, Mr. Speaker, that although the Iranian regime has access to over $20 billion and that…”

“The administration is arguing, Mr. Speaker, that although the Iranian regime has access to over $20 billion and that this judgment is $43 billion, there isn't enough money there to make payment. In addition to the 20-some billion, Iran is in the process right now of negotiation and paying and supporting in transfers to other regimes. For example, a report out this week says Iran is purchasing $21 billion of airplanes and satellites from Russia. That is $21 billion. Iran somehow has the money to do that, but it doesn't have the money for this claim. A report out about a month ago says that Iran's annual support for Hezbollah is over $100 million per year. Somehow they have got the spending cash for that. It is providing the Syrian regime, one estimate of one of the think tanks here in town is that they have provided them a little over $10 billion a year. So Iran somehow has the discretionary money for these other purposes, but not for the purpose of the judgments won in U.S. court for over 1,000 victims or family members of the victims of their attacks. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade.”