Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), passed the Prohibiting Future Ransom Payments to Iran Act (H.R. 5931), as amended.  The legislation, authored by Chairman Royce, prohibits future cash payments to Iran – the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism – for any reason.

Prior to passage of H.R. 5931, Chairman Royce said: “I appreciate Committee Members assembling this morning so that we can consider H.R. 5931, legislation I introduced to prevent ransom payments to Iran.  If this legislation was law, the Obama Administration’s dangerous actions of last January could not have happened.

“After weeks of badgering from Congress and the press corps, the Obama Administration finally admitted that the $1.3 billion of ‘compromise interest’ was also paid in cash – put onto pallets and loaded onto cargo planes.  $1.3 billion in cash.

“Not surprisingly, Iran has since taken several more Americans hostage and continues to fund terrorist groups that threaten U.S. interests and destabilize the Middle East.

“There is a reason why conducting large transactions in cash with this type of regime is really bad policy.  We cannot allow this to happen again.”

A summary of the Committee action, including adopted amendments, is available HERE.

###