Chairman Royce: No More Cash Payments to Iran

Today at the weekly Republican leadership press briefing, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) spoke to his bill, H.R. 5931, which the House will vote on this week. His remarks are below:

“In January, in a surprise move, President Obama announced a $1.7 billion payment to Iran. After many months of questions, we are finally starting to get to the facts of this case. And most of what the president told the American people at the time [was] not true.

The White House said that this cash was not connected to payments for the hostages.

That was not true.

The White House also said that these cash payments had to be made in cash because there was not another option for a payment.

That also was not true.

Iran is the number one state sponsor of terrorism, and transferring to Iran pallets of untraceable cash is terrible policy – and it puts Americans at risk. That certainly was the concern of the Justice Department.

This cannot happen again.

And that is why my bill that we’re going to vote on – that the House will vote on – this week, is very straightforward. It does not allow cash payments to Iran for any reason.”