John Rice Carter: “I know it is hard to believe, and I know that my friends across the other side of the aisle find it hard to believe, but…”

“I know it is hard to believe, and I know that my friends across the other side of the aisle find it hard to believe, but the Iranian regime is not our friend. They are no friend to the U.S., nor to our allies. It is not that we don't care. Yes, we do care. The Iranian regime is one of the world's leaders in state sponsored terrorism, and they cannot be appeased. We know that. That is why it was alarming when President Biden freed up $6 billion in previously frozen funds for Iran in September. I am glad that this was later refrozen due to the pushback from my colleagues and I--who don't trust Iran any further than we can pick them up and throw them--to use that money responsibly. The expectation of receiving the funds no doubt contributed to the uptick in terror we have seen in the Middle East. I think everyone would agree with that. According to our intelligence community, Iran provides $1 million a year to foreign terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah. On October 7, Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists brutally attacked Israel, killing 1,400 people and taking over 200 hostages. This legislation, the No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act, places immediate and mandatory sanctions on foreign financial institutions that facilitate the transfer of the restricted Iranian funds covered under President Biden's deal. It is imperative that the $6 billion remains permanently off-limits to the Iranian regime.…”