Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3774. The goal of this legislation is simple: to prevent Iran from profiting off of its petroleum reserves. The tyrannical Iranian regime uses these profits to fund its terrorism and proxy activities, as well as to make advancements in its nuclear program. The SHIP Act aims to apply unilateral, mandatory sanctions on anyone who does any of the following with Iranian oil: operate a port that accepts or transfers the oil; operate a refinery that possesses Iranian oil; run a business that purchases, sells, or finances Iranian oil; ships Iranian oil; or knowingly works at any facility that handles Iranian oil. Without a doubt, the target of these sanctions is China, the largest purchaser of Iranian oil. If China stopped buying oil from Iran, Iran would be starved of the funds it uses to destabilize its region and the world. This is not something we can achieve overnight without impacting the global energy and shipping economy. In today's interconnected world, where China is a major player and a trading partner of the United States, we cannot be shielded from the economic impacts these sanctions might cause. That is why if this legislation is signed into law, we must be both smart and forceful during its implementation, and we must be honest with the American people about why we are willing and why we must take this risk. Sanctions are a diplomatic tool.…”