Ed Royce: “In closing, I would again like to thank my colleagues, Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Engel, for their bipartisan…”

“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.”