NEWS

House Foreign Affairs Committee

U.S. House of Representatives

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Republican

CONTACT:  Sam Stratman, (202) 226-7875, February 15, 2007

                            Lee Cohen, (202 226-1139

For IMMEDIATE Release

Ros-Lehtinen Comments on Unanimous Passage

of Legislation to Strengthen Iran Sanctions Act

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, commented today on the unanimous passage in committee of H.R.957, a bill she introduced to amend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 by expanding and clarifying the entities against which sanctions may be imposed. Ros-Lehtinen said:

I am pleased that my colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee have recognized the need to take this additional step in enhancing our ability to deprive the extremist regime in Tehran the revenue it needs to fund its nuclear weapons program.

If signed into law, H.R. 957 would amend the Iran Sanctions Act by making export credit agencies, insurers, and other financial institutions subject to sanctions for their facilitation of investment in Iran’s energy sector.

Additionally, the bill seeks to expand the activities covered under the law to include petrochemicals and liquefied natural gas, as well as impose liability on parent companies for violations of sanctions by their foreign entities.

This legislation strengthens sanctions against those who invest in Iran’s energy sector-- the economic lifeline of the Iranian regime and this bill serves as a key component of our efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring the technical assistance, financial resources, and political legitimacy to develop nuclear weapons, enhance their missile capability, and support Islamist militant extremists and terrorism worldwide.

I look forward to swift consideration of this measure by the House of Representatives as it is clear that instead of diplomatic equivocation, the extremist Iranian regime will only respond to global sanctions of consequence.

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