Wendy Sherman: “Mr. Chairman, our hearts go out to the people of Iran who are fighting valiantly for freedom and democracy. The least we…”

“Mr. Chairman, our hearts go out to the people of Iran who are fighting valiantly for freedom and democracy. The least we could do in this bill is to provide our support and put the United States on record in favor of minority rights, women's rights, democracy, and freedom for the people of Iran. I want to commend Senator Brownback, who authored the very words of this amendment and persuaded the Senate to adopt them and add them to their version of this bill. I want to commend the Senate for adopting these words on a voice vote. Let me just summarize the provisions of this amendment. It contains, first, findings which state: 'Iran is neither free nor democratic. Men and women are not treated equally. Women are deprived of legal and internationally recognized rights. Religious freedom is not respected under the laws of Iran. And undemocratic institutions, such as the Guardians Council, thwart the decisions of elected leaders.' It goes on to cite the September 2003 report of the Department of State which identified Iran as the most active state sponsor of terrorism in the year 2002, and specifically sites the provisions of that report which indicate that Iran continues to provide funding and safe haven to such terrorist groups as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”