Sam Brownback: “This concerns providing support for democracy in Iran and has been previously filed and been amended. I worked closely…”

“This concerns providing support for democracy in Iran and has been previously filed and been amended. I worked closely with Senator Lugar, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Biden, the ranking member. Together we have worked out language that we have all agreed to on an important issue of democracy and promotion of democracy in Iran. This is a very important issue to the country and to the people of Iran. I am very thankful to the chairman and to the ranking member and their staffs for working together to get this language put together, language that is very strong, quite good, and makes a very positive statement. I rise to discuss this important issue. It is our policy toward Iran. As the President rightly stated, Iran is a member of the axis of evil. The terrorist atrocities it spreads around the world are equalled by the horrific atrocities committed against its own people. Today marks the fourth anniversary of the first major Iranian protest against a government that promised reform and utterly failed. I will show a picture to my colleagues of that protest 4 years ago, 1999, July 9--4 years ago today. The students, protesters, were out, thousands protesting the Government of Iran and saying they desired freedom. This is a scene of that. It is being replayed again today. Protesters are out in Iran, even though the regime is doing everything they can to stop it, having quasi-police groups--really, thugs--going around and beating people with chains.”