Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I rise today to support H.R. 5461, the ``Iranian Leadership Transparency Act,'' introduced by my colleague Bruce Poliquin. This bill will give the Iranian people some measure of the transparency they deserve--but have long been denied--about the corrupt financial dealings of their government. H.R. 5461 would require the Administration to produce an annual report on the financial and other assets owned by Iran's senior leaders and the highest ranks of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The report will be published in an easily downloadable format in English, Farsi, Arabic, and Azeri to make sure the information winds up in the hands of Iranians and empowers transparency advocates. With a corruption index ranking of 130 out of 168 countries from Transparency International and a media freedom ranking of 169 out of 180 from Reporters Without Borders, Iran is one of the most difficult climates in which to discover and report the truth about official corruption. This United States Government report would provide unique insights for Iranian and international audiences, particularly since so much of Iran's economy is controlled by shadowy organizations, such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The United States Institute of Peace assesses that the IRGC is Iran's single largest economic force with major stakes in most sectors of the economy, including construction, energy, and telecommunication, among others.…”