Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) today introduced the Prohibiting Future Ransom Payments to Iran Act (H.R. 5931), to ensure there are no future cash payouts to Iran – the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.  The legislation’s original Republican cosponsors include Rep. Zeldin (NY), Rep. McCaul (TX), Rep. Meadows (NC), Rep. Sessions (TX), Rep. Donovan (NY), Rep. Dent (PA), Rep. Chaffetz (UT), Rep. Conaway (TX), Rep. Rohrabacher (CA), Rep. Ribble (WI), Rep. Trott (MI), Rep. Young (IA), Rep. DesJarlais (TN), Rep. Cook (CA), Rep. Pittenger (NC), Rep. DeSantis (FL), Rep. Duffy (WI), and Rep. Nunes (CA).

Chairman Royce on the introduction of H.R. 5931: “The Obama administration forked over a massive cash ransom to Iran, emboldening the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and putting more lives at risk.  All of this was done in secret, hidden from the American people and from Congress.  This bill will ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

Specifically, H.R. 5931:

  • makes clear that the Obama Administration violated longstanding U.S. policy by releasing prisoners and paying ransom for the return of Americans held hostage by Iran;
  • prohibits cash payments to Iran—period; and
  • demands transparency on future settlements to ensure they are not used to pay ransom.

NOTE:  Full text of the legislation is available HERE and a one page summary is available HERE.

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