Date: 2012-05-15
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to support H. Res. 568. "Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the importance of preventing the Government of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability." This measure affirms that it is vital to our national interest to prevent Iran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. It also makes clear that our time is limited and we must act to prevent Iran from acquiring full nuclear weapons capability. As a Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security. I am well versed in the dangers posed by allowing countries who are against our interests to gain nuclear weapons. I have always been and will continue to be concerned for the average citizen of Iran. This measure is not a reflection of the will of the average Iranian but a reflection of the government which currently represents them. H. Res. 568 represents our commitment to national security. The United States of America should increase economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran to secure an agreement that includes: (1) the suspension of all uranium enrichmentrelated and reprocessing activities. (2) ensures Irans complete cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. IAEA. regarding their nuclear activities. and (3) a permanent agreement that verifiably assures that Irans nuclear program is entirely peaceful. I support the Iranian peoples universal human rights and access to inclusive. democratic representation. H. Res. 568 urges the President to reaffirm the unacceptability of an Iran that has nuclear weapons capability. This piece of legislation calls for enforcing tougher sanctions against Iran. Iran has been involved in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. whether they are nuclear or chemical or biological. This timely piece of legislation addresses the need for the U.S. to take a strong stance against the aggressive and hostile behavior of these three countries. These governments are not our friends. We must not underestimate their ability to manufacture nuclear weapons. The government of Iran. under its president and leader. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. has pursued policies undermining democracy and threatening regional security as well as our own national security. Irans actions regarding its nuclear program have been highly troublesome. Investigations conducted by the U.N.s International Atomic Energy Agency. IAEA. have revealed that Iran has been in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty time and time again. In 2003. Iran confirmed that there are sites in the cities of Natanz and Arak that are under construction. But Iran insisted that these sites. like Bushehr. are designed to provide fuel for future power plants and nothing else. Subsequent actions. however. have led us to believe otherwise. Stemming from the most recent IAEA report. experts believe that. with further enrichment of its existing stockpile of uranium. Iran already has enough raw material to make two or three nuclear weapons. Even though having the raw material is different from having an actual weapon. Ahmedinejads belligerent and hostile actions create an atmosphere dangerous to U.S. national security. Iran also has a horrific human rights abuse record. On December 26. 2011. the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution denouncing the serious human rights abuses occurring in Iran. The resolution included torture. cruel and degrading treatment in detention. the targeting of human rights defenders. violence against women. and "the systematic and serious restrictions on freedom of peaceful assembly" as well as severe restrictions on the rights to "freedom of thought. conscience. religion or belief." The Iranian regimes treatment of women is particularly heinous. Prominent human rights activist Shirin Ebadi. the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. has faced intensified persecution from the Iranian government for her courageous activism and efforts to promote womens rights in Iran. On 21 December 2008. dozens of government agents carried out a raid on the Defenders of Human Rights Center. run by Ms. Ebadi. The Center provides legal assistance to victims of human rights violations. The raid on the Center occurred hours before they were planning on holding an event there to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Center staff members and guests were harassed and intimidated and the center was forcibly closed. Later. officials identifying themselves as tax inspectors came to the Center to remove documents and computers. despite Ms. Ebadis protests that they contained protected lawyerclient information. Ms. Ebadi has repeatedly been subjected to threats and intimidation for the work she does. Occurrences like this must stop. The United States relations with Iran have been volatile and tumultuous for almost 60 years. We are engaging with a hostile regime that has not demonstrated a desire to compromise or an ability to admit to its wrongdoings. Our focus now is to address the security concerns in the region. The provisions put forth in this bill are vital to ensuring our nations security interests. Those who govern Iran must be held accountable for its actions.