Chris Smith: “In 1983, 241 American servicemen in Beirut were killed and another 60 injured by a car bomb. One of the Marines murdered…”

“In 1983, 241 American servicemen in Beirut were killed and another 60 injured by a car bomb. One of the Marines murdered was my constituent, Paul Innocenzi III, who lived with his young family in my hometown of Hamilton. In my second term as Congressman, I joined mourners at his funeral. I will never forget the agony and the sorrow of his family. Iranian terrorism killed Paul Innocenzi and, over the decades, has killed or maimed thousands of other Americans. A Federal court, Mr. Speaker, found that the 1983 bombing was ``beyond question'' perpetrated by ``Hezbollah and its agent who received massive material and technical support from the Iranian Government.'' Later a three-judge Federal appeals court panel approved $1.75 billion in judgment against Iran for the 1983 bombing and some other Iranian acts of terror. Today Iran is poised to get billions of dollars through so-called sanctions relief for an egregiously flawed comprehensive plan of action, money that will procure for Iran a significantly larger arsenal of sophisticated weapons and an enhanced capability to terrorize, murder, and destabilize. The chairman talked about Iran's $21 billion weapons purchase from Russia. Billions more to Iran will exponentially increase weapons buys. The Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act authored by Pat Meehan says not so fast. The President has said he will veto this bill. That is wrong, Mr. Speaker. That is uncaring, it is unacceptable, it is unconscionable.…”