[Pages H2983-H2989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

HEZBOLLAH INTERNATIONAL FINANCING PREVENTION ACT OF 2015

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2297) to prevent Hezbollah and associated entities from
gaining access to international financial and other institutions, and
for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 2297

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Hezbollah
International Financing Prevention Act of 2015''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Statement of policy.

TITLE I--PREVENTION OF ACCESS BY HEZBOLLAH TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL
AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS

Sec. 101. Briefing on imposition of sanctions on certain satellite
providers that carry al-Manar TV.
Sec. 102. Sanctions with respect to financial institutions that engage
in certain transactions.

TITLE II--REPORTS ON DESIGNATION OF HEZBOLLAH AS A SIGNIFICANT FOREIGN
NARCOTICS TRAFFICKER AND A SIGNIFICANT TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL
ORGANIZATION

Sec. 201. Report on designation of Hezbollah as a significant foreign
narcotics trafficker.
Sec. 202. Report on designation of Hezbollah as a significant
transnational criminal organization.
Sec. 203. Rewards for Justice and Hezbollah's fundraising, financing,
and money laundering activities.
Sec. 204. Report on activities of foreign governments to disrupt global
logistics networks and fundraising, financing, and money
laundering activities of Hezbollah.
Sec. 205. Appropriate congressional committees defined.

TITLE III--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 301. Rule of construction.
Sec. 302. Regulatory authority.
Sec. 303. Termination.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It shall be the policy of the United States to--
(1) prevent Hezbollah's global logistics and financial
network from operating in order to curtail funding of its
domestic and international activities; and
(2) utilize all available diplomatic, legislative, and
executive avenues to combat the global criminal activities of
Hezbollah as a means to block that organization's ability to
fund its global terrorist activities.

TITLE I--PREVENTION OF ACCESS BY HEZBOLLAH TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL
AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS

SEC. 101. BRIEFING ON IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS ON CERTAIN
SATELLITE PROVIDERS THAT CARRY AL-MANAR TV.

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State
shall provide to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate a briefing on the following:
(1) The activities of all satellite, broadcast, Internet,
or other providers that knowingly provide material support to
al-Manar TV, and any affiliates or successors thereof.
(2) With respect to all providers described in paragraph
(1)--
(A) an identification of those providers that have been
sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224 (September
23, 2001); and
(B) an identification of those providers that have not been
sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224 and, with
respect to each such provider, the reason why sanctions have
not been imposed.

SEC. 102. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
THAT ENGAGE IN CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS.

(a) Prohibitions and Conditions With Respect to Certain
Accounts Held by Foreign Financial Institutions.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury,
with the concurrence of the Secretary of State and in
consultation with the heads of other applicable departments
and agencies, shall prohibit, or impose strict conditions on,
the opening or maintaining in the United States of a
correspondent account or a payable-through account by a
foreign financial institution that the Secretary determines,
on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, engages in
an activity described in paragraph (2).
(2) Activities described.--A foreign financial institution
engages in an activity described in this paragraph if the
foreign financial institution--
(A) knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or
transactions for Hezbollah;
(B) knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or
transactions of a person designated for acting on behalf of
or at the direction of, or owned or controlled by, Hezbollah;
(C) knowingly engages in money laundering to carry out an
activity described in subparagraph (A) or (B);
(D) knowingly facilitates a significant transaction or
transactions or provides significant financial services to
carry out an activity described in subparagraph (A), (B), or
(C), including--
(i) facilitating a significant transaction or transactions;
or
(ii) providing significant financial services that involve
a transaction of covered goods; or

[[Page H2984]]

(E)(i) knowingly facilitates, or participates or assists
in, an activity described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or
(D), including by acting on behalf of, at the direction of,
or as an intermediary for, or otherwise assisting, another
person with respect to the activity described in any such
subparagraph;
(ii) knowingly attempts or conspires to facilitate or
participate in an activity described in subparagraph (A),
(B), (C), or (D); or
(iii) is owned or controlled by a foreign financial
institution that the Secretary finds knowingly engages in an
activity described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D).
(3) Penalties.--The penalties provided for in subsections
(b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a person
that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or
causes a violation of regulations prescribed under paragraph
(4) of this subsection to the same extent that such penalties
apply to a person that commits an unlawful act described in
subsection (a) of such section 206(a).
(4) Regulations.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall
prescribe and implement regulations to carry out this
subsection.
(b) Waiver.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury, with the
concurrence of the Secretary of State and in consultation
with the heads of other applicable departments and agencies,
may waive, on a case-by-case basis, the application of a
prohibition or condition imposed with respect to a foreign
financial institution pursuant to subsection (a) for a period
of not more than 180 days, and may renew such waiver for
additional periods of not more than 180 days, on and after
the date that the Secretary of the Treasury, with the
concurrence of the Secretary of State--
(A) determines that such a waiver is in the national
security interests of the United States; and
(B) submits to the appropriate congressional committees a
report describing the reasons for such determination.
(2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1)(B) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified
annex.
(c) Provisions Relating to Foreign Financial
Institutions.--
(1) Report.--Not later than 45 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act and every 180 days thereafter, the
Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report that--
(A) identifies each foreign central bank that the Secretary
determines engages in one or more activities described in
subsection (a)(2)(D); and
(B) provides a detailed description of each such activity.
(2) Special rule to allow for termination of sanctionable
activity.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall not be
required to apply sanctions to a foreign financial
institution described in subsection (a) if the Secretary,
with the concurrence of the Secretary of State and in
consultation with the heads of other applicable departments
and agencies, certifies in writing to the appropriate
congressional committees that--
(A) such foreign financial institution--
(i) is no longer engaging in the activity described in
subsection (a)(2); or
(ii) has taken and is continuing to take significant
verifiable steps toward terminating the activity described in
such subsection; and
(B) the Secretary has received reliable assurances from the
government with primary jurisdiction over such foreign
financial institution that such foreign financial institution
will not engage in any activity described in such subsection
in the future.
(d) Definitions.--
(1) In general.--In this section:
(A) Account; correspondent account; payable-through
account.--The terms ``account'', ``correspondent account'',
and ``payable-through account'' have the meanings given those
terms in section 5318A of title 31, United States Code.
(B) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(i) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
(ii) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee
on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
(C) Covered goods.--The term ``covered goods'' has the
meaning given the term in section 1027.100 of title 31, Code
of Federal Regulations.
(D) Financial institution.--The term ``financial
institution'' means a financial institution specified in
subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), (I),
(J), (K), (M), (N), (P), (R), (T), (Y), or (Z) of section
5312(a)(2) of title 31, United States Code.
(E) Foreign financial institution; domestic financial
institution.--
(i) Foreign financial institution.--The term ``foreign
financial institution'' has the meaning of such term in
section 1010.605 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations,
and includes a foreign central bank.
(ii) Domestic financial institution.--The term ``domestic
financial institution'' has the meaning of such term as
determined by the Secretary of the Treasury.
(F) Hezbollah.--The term ``Hezbollah'' means--
(i) any person--

(I) the property of or interests in property of which are
blocked pursuant to the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
(II) who is identified on the list of specially designated
nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of
Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury as an
agent, instrumentality, or affiliate of Hezbollah; and

(ii) the entity designated by the Secretary of State as a
foreign terrorist organization pursuant to section 219 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189).
(G) Money laundering.--The term ``money laundering'' means
any of the activities described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3)
of section 1956(a) of title 18, United States Code, with
respect to which penalties may be imposed pursuant to such
section.
(2) Other definitions.--The Secretary of the Treasury may
further define the terms used in this section in the
regulations prescribed under this section.

TITLE II--REPORTS ON DESIGNATION OF HEZBOLLAH AS A SIGNIFICANT FOREIGN
NARCOTICS TRAFFICKER AND A SIGNIFICANT TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL
ORGANIZATION

SEC. 201. REPORT ON DESIGNATION OF HEZBOLLAH AS A SIGNIFICANT
FOREIGN NARCOTICS TRAFFICKER.

(a) Report Required.--Not later than 120 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall
transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a
detailed report on whether Hezbollah meets the criteria for
designation under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation
Act (21 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) as a significant foreign
narcotics trafficker, and if the President determines that
Hezbollah does not meet such criteria, a detailed
justification as to which criteria have not been met.
(b) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be
transmitted in unclassified form, but may include a
classified annex.

SEC. 202. REPORT ON DESIGNATION OF HEZBOLLAH AS A SIGNIFICANT
TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) Hezbollah meets the criteria for designation as a
significant transnational criminal organization under
Executive Order No. 13581 (76 Fed. Reg. 44757); and
(2) the President should so designate Hezbollah as a
significant transnational criminal organization.
(b) Report.--
(1) Report required.--Not later than 120 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall
transmit to the appropriate committees of Congress a detailed
report on whether the Hezbollah meets the criteria for
designation as a significant transnational criminal
organization under Executive Order No. 13581 (76 Fed. Reg.
44757), and if the President determines that Hezbollah does
not meet such criteria, a detailed justification as to which
criteria have not been met.
(2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be
transmitted in unclassified form, but may include a
classified annex.

SEC. 203. REWARDS FOR JUSTICE AND HEZBOLLAH'S FUNDRAISING,
FINANCING, AND MONEY LAUNDERING ACTIVITIES.

(a) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a report that
details actions taken by the Department of State through the
Department of State rewards program under section 36 of the
State Department Basic Authorities Act (22 U.S.C. 2708) to
obtain information on fundraising, financing, and money
laundering activities of Hezbollah and its agents and
affiliates.
(b) Briefing.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary
of State shall provide a briefing to the appropriate
congressional committees on the status of the actions
described in subsection (a).
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.

SEC. 204. REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS TO
DISRUPT GLOBAL LOGISTICS NETWORKS AND
FUNDRAISING, FINANCING, AND MONEY LAUNDERING
ACTIVITIES OF HEZBOLLAH.

(a) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to
the appropriate congressional committees a report that
includes--
(A) a list of countries that support Hezbollah, or in which
Hezbollah maintains important portions of its global
logistics networks;
(B) with respect to each country on the list required by
subparagraph (A)--
(i) an assessment of whether the government of such country
is taking adequate measures to disrupt the global logistics
networks of Hezbollah within the territory of such country;
and

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(ii) in the case of a country the government of which is
not taking adequate measures to disrupt such networks--

(I) an assessment of the reasons such government is not
taking such adequate measures; and
(II) a description of measures being taken by the United
States to encourage such government to improve measures to
disrupt such networks;

(C) a list of countries in which Hezbollah, or any of its
agents or affiliates, conducts significant fundraising,
financing, or money laundering activities;
(D) with respect to each country on the list required by
subparagraph (C)--
(i) an assessment of whether the government of such country
is taking adequate measures to disrupt the fundraising,
financing, or money laundering activities of Hezbollah and
its agents and affiliates within the territory of such
country; and
(ii) in the case of a country the government of which is
not taking adequate measures to disrupt such activities--

(E) a list of methods that Hezbollah, or any of its agents
or affiliates, utilizes to raise or transfer funds, including
trade-based money laundering, the use of foreign exchange
houses, and free-trade zones.
(2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form to the greatest extent
possible, and may contain a classified annex.
(3) Global logistics networks of hezbollah.--In this
subsection, the term ``global logistics networks of
Hezbollah'', ``global logistics networks'', or ``networks''
means financial, material, or technological support for, or
financial or other services in support of, Hezbollah.
(b) Briefing on Hezbollah's Assets and Activities Related
to Fundraising, Financing, and Money Laundering Worldwide.--
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of
State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the heads (or their
designees) of other applicable Federal departments and
agencies shall provide to the appropriate congressional
committees a briefing on the disposition of Hezbollah's
assets and activities related to fundraising, financing, and
money laundering worldwide.
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Financial Services, and the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Select Committee
on Intelligence of the Senate.

SEC. 205. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.

Except as otherwise provided, in this title, the term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Financial Services, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the
House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Finance, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.

TITLE III--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

SEC. 301. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

Nothing in this Act or any amendment made by this Act shall
apply to the authorized intelligence activities of the United
States.

SEC. 302. REGULATORY AUTHORITY.

(a) In General.--The President shall, not later than 90
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, promulgate
regulations as necessary for the implementation of this Act
and the amendments made by this Act.
(b) Notification to Congress.--Not less than 10 days before
the promulgation of regulations under subsection (a), the
President shall notify the appropriate congressional
committees (as such term is defined in section 203) of the
proposed regulations and the provisions of this Act and the
amendments made by this Act that the regulations are
implementing.

SEC. 303. TERMINATION.

This Act shall terminate on the date that is 30 days after
the date on which the President certifies to Congress that
Hezbollah--
(1) is no longer designated as a foreign terrorist
organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189);
(2) is no longer listed in the Annex to Executive Order No.
13224 (September 23, 2001; relating to blocking property and
prohibiting transactions with persons who commit, threaten to
commit, or support terrorism); and
(3) poses no significant threat to United States national
security, interests, or allies.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.

General Leave

Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include any extraneous material they might wish for the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this measure, and I
want to especially thank the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Mark
Meadows, along with Mr. Ted Deutch of Florida and Ranking Member Eliot
Engel of New York for their bipartisan leadership on this critically
important issue.
Last July, the House passed legislation by a vote of 404-0. This was
the bill that was passed by that measure, with a few tweaks, but 404-0.
Unfortunately, the other body, the Senate, failed to take it up. The
threat posed by Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies has only expanded
since then, and now, Hezbollah is ascendant in the region.
Consider, now, Hezbollah's arsenal aimed at Israel; that arsenal has
exploded. I was in Haifa in 2006 as Hezbollah's rockets rained down on
that city, targeting civilian neighborhoods. Those Iranian and Syrian-
made rockets were slamming into people's homes, and they were being
targeted, and the hospital also was being targeted. Every rocket
contained 90,000 ball bearings. The only intent was mass killing and
maiming.
In the Rambam trauma hospital, I talked to many of the victims. There
were 600 victims of these rockets in there, and that was nearly 10
years ago. At that time, Hezbollah started that effort with about
15,000 rockets at their disposal, and they fired close to 5,000 at
civilian targets. That was their work.
Hezbollah has expanded its arsenal in size and in sophistication. By
the way, it has been done at the behest of Iran. They have given these
new rockets, with longer range, to Hezbollah. Now, they have an
arsenal; the estimate is some 100,000 unguided rockets. It has also
expanded its arsenal to include the sophisticated antiship and
antiaircraft missiles and ground-to-ground rockets.
Hezbollah has been able to expand both its arsenal and activities,
with Iranian backing, and its long-established worldwide network of
members and supporters and sympathizers to provide this terrorist group
financial and logistical and military and other types of support.
To cut the international support and reach of Hezbollah, to deny it
the funds needed for its terrorist activities, we must effectively
target its financial network. That is the goal of the Hezbollah
International Financing Prevention Act of 2015.
This bill builds on the existing sanctions regime by placing
Hezbollah's sources of financing under additional scrutiny,
particularly those resources outside of Lebanon, given that many
Lebanese banks have stepped up their game to prevent money laundering.
In addition to targeting the terrorist organization's diverse
financial networks, the legislation also requires the U.S. Government
to focus on Hezbollah's global logistics network and its transnational
organized criminal enterprises, including its vast drug smuggling
operations.
The goal is to improve coordination and cooperation with allies and
other responsible countries in confronting the increasing threat posed
by Hezbollah, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this
critical measure.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2297, the
Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act, and I yield myself
such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by, once again, thanking
Chairman Royce for his thoughtfulness, his intellect, his
bipartisanship. I agree with everything he said in his opening
statement.
I want to also thank Representative Deutch, Representative Meadows,
and Representative Meng for their hard work on this important
legislation to sanction Hezbollah, Iran's terrorist proxy.

[[Page H2986]]

Over a decade ago, I introduced and Congress passed into law the
Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, which
was designed to end Syrian support for terrorism, including Hezbollah.
I was proud to have that bill pass both Houses of Congress and signed
into law by then-President Bush.
Now, Hezbollah is a more sophisticated terrorist organization, but
their goals remain the same. They continue to support Iran's dangerous
agenda throughout the region.
They have tipped the Syrian civil war in favor of Assad. Assad would
most likely be losing or out of power by now if not for the fact that
Hezbollah has come in from Lebanon into Syria to aid Assad in his
murderous treachery against his own people, where hundreds of thousands
of innocent civilians have perished.
He would not be in power today if it wasn't for Iran and if it wasn't
for Iran's proxy, Hezbollah, fighting that civil war. He would be
losing that civil war. It is Hezbollah that has propped him up and
caused him to be ahead in that war.
When we debated the Corker-Cardin bill just before, I mentioned my
concerns about a potential nuclear deal with Iran. At the top of their
list is how sanctions relief will be handled and what Iran will do with
a new influx of resources.
Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. The Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Quds Force sow instability throughout
the region. Perhaps the most destructive has been Iran's support for
Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, again, has prevented the people of Lebanon from building a
better future. Hezbollah's support has allowed the Assad regime to
cling to power, and Hezbollah has stockpiled tens of thousands of
rockets on Israel's front doorstep.
What concerns me most is that Iran has been able to funnel resources
to Hezbollah, despite the burden of the most crippling sanctions regime
in history. What is going to happen if that pressure is lifted?
Well, we shouldn't wait to find out. Congress must act now to impose
stronger sanctions on Hezbollah. We should choke them off from their
Iranian patrons. This bill would give the administration every tool it
needs to confront this dangerous group.
It would sanction foreign banks for knowingly doing business with
Hezbollah. We need to send a clear message to companies getting tangled
with this terrorist group: Walk away. Walk away, or face the
consequences.
The bill would also shine a bright light on Al-Manar, Hezbollah's
television station, itself a Specially Designated Terrorist Group.
Hezbollah uses Al-Manar for logistical, propaganda, and fundraising
purposes. It defies reason that this station is still carried by the
satellite providers all over the world. We need to expose this puppet
organization and this dangerous organization for what it is.

We passed this bill in the last Congress by a vote of 404-0. Today,
let's take another stand against the violence, murder, and terrorism
that Hezbollah has sown in the region. It is time for an independent
and free Lebanon. It is time for an end to terror and for a transition
in Syria, and it is time for the threats against Israel to end.
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Meadows), a member of the Foreign Affairs
Committee, chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee
on Government Operations.
He is also the author of the prior year's legislation on this subject
which passed with 404 votes, and he is a principal coauthor, along with
Mr. Ted Deutch, of this bill which we are bringing up today.
Mr. MEADOWS. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for his kind words
and for his leadership because we would not be here today without the
great work of the chairman; the ranking member, Mr. Eliot Engel; and my
good friend from Florida, Ted Deutch, who has dropped everything to try
to make sure that we address this critical issue.
Because of the incredible Department of Defense and the military men
and women that we have serving the great American interests, many
Americans believe that the terrorist organizations are poorly
organized, they are rogue operations, and some, most of them believe
that they are just thousands of miles away; yet terrorist organizations
have been thriving for decades and have killed thousands of Americans.

{time} 1400

These terrorists will be stopped one day, and hopefully today is the
beginning of what we do to make sure that that happens.
With the growth of technology and globalization, Hezbollah has become
illusive and has found ways to raise millions of dollars. You would
think that it is just in some faraway place, but we find them as close
as our own borders in this hemisphere and, indeed, in my home State of
North Carolina.
We must do all that we can to cripple Hezbollah and send a message to
other terrorist organizations that the United States will not back
down. We will protect our people and our allies. We can do this today
by enacting the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act.
This is more important today than ever before because, as we discuss
this particular potential deal with Iran, what we do know is that, as
sanctions are relieved, that money will flow. And because the real
leader and founder of this vicious terrorist organization is really the
Iranian regime, we must act today, Madam Speaker, because we will save
American lives, we will save allied lives, and we will stand with our
greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel.
So I want to close by, indeed, thanking Chairman Ed Royce for his
willingness to engage with our leadership and for their decision to
bring this to the floor in a very expeditious manner. I thank Chairman
Tom Price of Georgia, Ms. Grace Meng, Mr. Lee Zeldin, along with
Ranking Member Eliot Engel.
I would also like to give a thank-you to the Lebanese bankers because
many would believe that everybody there is involved in this. We had
credible Lebanese bankers who came in and said, ``We want some help.''
We want to make sure that the good actors are rewarded and the bad
actors are put away.
And finally, I would like to thank the staff that has worked
incredibly hard--Matt Zweig, Ansley Rhyne, and Mira Resnick--from the
Foreign Affairs Committee. They have worked very closely together to
make this a good piece of legislation, one that will be a tool so that
this administration can finally put the boot on the throat of Hezbollah
and all like-minded terrorists.
Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), who is also the ranking member of
the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee.
Mr. DEUTCH. I thank my friend for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the bipartisan Hezbollah
International Financing Prevention Act of 2015.
I would like to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for
their leadership on this critical piece of national security
legislation. I especially want to acknowledge the leadership of my
friend from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows) in championing this effort and
diligently pushing to make sure that we have the opportunity to hear
this important bill. And I want to thank Representatives Meng, Zeldin,
and Tom Price of Georgia for the key role that they have played in
bringing this bill to the House floor.
Since its inception in 1982, Hezbollah has attacked American
citizens: in the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983, killing
63, including 17 Americans; in the U.S. Marine barracks bombing in
October 1983, which killed 241 American and 58 French servicemen; in
the bombing of the U.S. Embassy annex in Beirut in 1984, which killed
24; in the hijacking of TWA flight 847 in 1985, in which a U.S. Navy
diver was shot in the head and his body dumped on the tarmac; and in
the Khobar Towers attack in Saudi Arabia in 1996 that killed 19 airmen.
Hezbollah has been a U.S.-designated terrorist organization since
1997. And while it claims to be a resistance group, it is a very
dangerous terrorist

[[Page H2987]]

organization. It does not just attack Americans. It launches attacks
not just on Israel. It attacks around the world.
It is responsible for the 1992 Israeli Embassy bombing in Argentina,
which killed 29, and the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center that
killed 85 people. It attacked a busload of tourists in Bulgaria in
2012. And since 2008, attacks plotted by Hezbollah have been foiled in
Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey.
In 2012, a Hezbollah plot to assassinate the Ambassador of Saudi
Arabia to the United States right here in a Washington, D.C.,
restaurant was uncovered. This attack, had it gone forward, would have
resulted in innocent civilian deaths here in our Nation's Capital.
Madam Speaker, today Hezbollah is helping Bashar al Assad slaughter
innocent civilians in Syria. Hezbollah's fighters and operatives are on
the ground in Syria, propping up the Assad regime as it drops barrel
bombs on Syrian towns and uses chlorine gas on its own people.
It is no secret that Hezbollah does Iran's bidding. Backed by
millions of dollars from Iran, Hezbollah is keeping Assad's grip on
power to preserve Iran's lifeline to its proxy.
This reign of terror must be stopped before it has the potential to
become even stronger.
With Iranian support, Hezbollah has set up cells all around the
world. It gets significant funding for its worldwide terror through its
criminal activities, such as money laundering, narcotics trafficking,
and the selling of counterfeit goods. And shockingly, it fund raises in
communities all over Latin America and Europe.
This bill will take significant steps toward cutting off Hezbollah's
global reach by imposing sanctions on those financial institutions that
facilitate Hezbollah's activities. We can severely hamper its ability
to move the funds needed to fund its terror campaigns.
This bill will also require the administration to look into satellite
providers that continue to broadcast the Hezbollah-run Al-Manar
television station. A terrorist organization should not be allowed to
freely broadcast its propaganda and its messages of hate. In fact, more
than 10 years ago, back in 2004, France's highest administrative court
moved to ban Al-Manar, ruling that the Beirut-based outlet had
repeatedly violated the country's hate laws and made anti-Semitic
statements.
Our legislation would give Congress and the administration greater
insight into Hezbollah's criminal activities by requiring reports on
Hezbollah's narcotrafficking and its transnational criminal network.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. ENGEL. I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from
Florida.
Mr. DEUTCH. It will also give us a clearer sense of Hezbollah's
global reach, as it requires reporting on what countries around the
world are doing to disrupt Hezbollah's activities.
Madam Speaker, Hezbollah has destabilized the Middle East for over 30
years. It has been a significant and deadly threat to U.S. interests.
It stands ready, with more than 100,000 rockets and missiles aimed at
Israel, many capable of striking anywhere with high precision. This is
one of the most deadly organizations in the world, and the U.S. must
use all of its economic might to shut down Hezbollah's global
operations.
Madam Speaker, people often ask what Congress can do to address the
many dangers that we face in the world. This legislation is a step
forward in protecting Americans and American interests and American
lives. Similar legislation passed the House unanimously last year, and
I urge my colleagues to again support this vitally important national
security bill.
Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce for the
wonderfully bipartisan way in which he leads our committee, and I
especially want to thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr.
Meadows) for his incredible leadership on this important topic.
Madam Speaker, I rise in full support of this bill, to broaden
sanctions against Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist
Organization.
The Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, has been responsible for propping up
the murderous Assad regime in Syria. Hezbollah continues to be a major
threat to our closest friend and ally, the Democratic Jewish State of
Israel. Hezbollah and its patron Iran continue to seek ways to attack
and undermine U.S. national security interests, especially with its
increased presence in our own area, in the Western Hemisphere, and its
increasing role in global narcotics trafficking.
Madam Speaker, one way we have of countering Hezbollah's illicit
activities is by cutting off its major source of funding and support.
Once the administration gives Iran a signing bonus of $50 billion and
lifts the sanctions against the regime, when this bad and dangerously
weak nuclear deal gets signed, you can be sure, Madam Speaker, that the
spigots will open and that money will flow directly to Hezbollah. So we
must make sure that the administration fully and vigorously enforces
these sanctions against Hezbollah and doesn't find any loophole or
waive any of the provisions.
After seeing the administration's willingness to work with the
Iranian regime and the Cuban regime, I might add, it wouldn't surprise
me to see the administration take steps to follow the European Union
and split Hezbollah into a military and political wing to try to avoid
these sanctions and appease the Iranian regime.
We all know, Madam Speaker, that Hezbollah is a terrorist
organization and that there is no split among the terror group
whatsoever. You cannot differentiate between its supposed wings. It is
all one terrorist organization. That is why I strongly support this
bill, and I call upon the President to do more to counter this threat
from Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah.
Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to
the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Meng), a valued member of the
Foreign Affairs Committee.
Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to be a lead cosponsor of the
Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act. This legislation will
broaden financial sector sanctions against Hezbollah, compel other
critical designations against it, and target Hezbollah's media outlet
Al-Manar.
A lot of work has gone into this bill over two Congresses, and we
have worked hard, especially with the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Deutch), to ensure the inclusion of language that would disrupt
Hezbollah's global logistics networks and its fundraising and money-
laundering activities.
This section requires the Obama administration to shed light on those
countries that either covertly or overtly enable any sort of Hezbollah
activities within their borders. The provision is particularly
important in the Hezbollah context because there are far too many
countries that outwardly condemn Hezbollah's military and terrorist
activities while privately fostering environments where Hezbollah can
operate politically and financially. Well, no more, not if you want to
do business with the United States.
This legislation is also timely because it sends a strong message to
Iran that no matter what happens in relation to nuclear negotiations,
the United States will aggressively counter its promotion of terror in
the Middle East.
In the last decade, our sanctions policy has led the way in crippling
rogue regimes and terrorist groups, and today we take a big step
forward in crippling, among the worst of them all, Hezbollah.
I want to thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, Mr. Meadows,
and Mr. Deutch for their hard work, and my cosponsors, Mr. Zeldin and
Mr. Tom Price of Georgia.
Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Zeldin), a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, one of
the principal cosponsors of this bill, and a leader in confronting Iran
in its support for terrorism around the world.
Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce for his leadership
on the Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as Ranking Member Engel, Mr.
Deutch, Mr. Meadows, Ms. Meng, and Mr. Tom Price of Georgia.

[[Page H2988]]

This has been a strong bipartisan effort that was started before I
came to Congress this past January. Some of my fellow lead cosponsors
on this bill have worked tirelessly over years.
America's greatness is nothing to apologize for. We are a great,
free, exceptional nation. Being the leader of the free world is, this
body, today, passing legislation, the Hezbollah International Financing
Prevention Act, to tackle a rising threat in the Middle East and to
United States interests all around the world. American leadership is on
display here in the Halls of Congress.
Hezbollah has helped Assad fight Syrian rebels in that country. It is
estimated that Iran has provided Hezbollah $60 million to $100 million
per year in financial assistance.
The Dubai-based Gulf Research Center estimates Hezbollah's armed wing
at about 1,000 full-time fighters and 6,000 to 10,000 volunteers.
According to the Iranian Fars News Agency, Hezbollah has up to 65,000
fighters.

{time} 1415

This legislation, H.R. 2297, addresses the need to pursue foreign
banks that knowingly do business with entities that facilitate
Hezbollah's activities. This legislation addresses the need to counter
Hezbollah's other criminal enterprises, which include money laundering
and counterfeiting of goods and pharmaceuticals.
Madam Speaker, this legislation helps address the need to obtain more
information on Hezbollah's fundraising, financing, and money-laundering
networks. It requires the administration to provide a comprehensive
overview of countries supporting Hezbollah as well as those countries
that aren't doing enough.
Again, I thank Chairman Royce for his leadership with this
legislation, Mr. Engel, and my fellow co-lead sponsors as we tackle
this rising tide of radical Islamic extremism in the Middle East with
Hezbollah, Hamas, al Qaeda, Boko Haram, and ISIS. Every day, our 24-
hour news cycle is dominated with our constituents watching, reading,
and hearing about this threat that exists in the Middle East,
understanding that if we do not defeat it overseas, we will be facing
it here at home.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand with my fellow co-leads and my
colleagues from both parties as American exceptionalism is on display
here. I rise in support today, and I encourage my colleagues to vote
for this legislation.
Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for
the purpose of closing.
Madam Speaker, Hezbollah's actions in the Middle East and around the
world have only added to the volatility that has plagued the region.
Hezbollah's stockpile of rockets is growing on Israel's doorstep,
threatening to ``confront aggression at any time, any place, and in any
form whatsoever.'' The irony is they are the aggressors. Hezbollah
fighters terrorize the people of Syria, serving as the only thing
between Assad and his own demise. Hezbollah has made itself into a
state within a state of Lebanon, denying the Lebanese people their
right to self-determination.
Madam Speaker, it is time to redouble our efforts to stop Hezbollah
from continuing its campaign of terror across the region. So I urge my
colleagues to pass this legislation because it is so important. The
United States has the clout to do so, and we should always let the
people--the average people--know that the United States stands by them.
Hezbollah is one of the worst terrorist organizations. Hezbollah
tries to terrorize Israel, but they have never succeeded and will never
succeed, and they terrorize the people of Lebanon and Syria. We need to
put an end to that. That is why this legislation is so important.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it. I thank Chairman
Royce once again for his leadership, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. ROYCE. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Dold), a member of the Committee on Financial Services, a cosponsor of
the bill, and someone who has been relentless in warning about the
threat of Iran and Hezbollah.
Mr. DOLD. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking
member for your leadership and for yielding the time. I also want to
thank Mr. Meadows, Mr. Deutch, and all those who have worked tirelessly
on this bill.
The Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act is one that is
important. We need to choke off funds to a well-known terrorist
organization that has been engaged in terror for decades. We know a
lot, Madam Speaker, and we have talked a lot about the threat of ISIS,
what is going on in Syria, what is happening with Iran, Iran being the
greatest state sponsor of terror in the world, using its proxies, one
of which is Hezbollah. But I want to make sure that we are not losing
sight of Hezbollah and the dangers that they pose. That is why this is
such an important piece of legislation.
Hezbollah has killed Americans. They are one of the most deadly
terrorist organizations in the world. They are a major threat not only
to the United States; they are a threat to our one true ally in the
Middle East, the State of Israel. The buildup of Hezbollah's rocket
arsenal is a concern, Madam Speaker, to everyday Israelis, and it
should be a concern for all of us.
As we think about terror and choking off that financing, it is
absolutely critical that we speak with one clear voice here in the
United States, that we focus on these cells, and that we focus on how
Hezbollah is getting its resources. This is, again, another issue on
which I am delighted that we are working together in a bipartisan
fashion because this is not about partisanship. This is about making
sure that the world is a safer place and shining a light on terrorist
organizations, Hezbollah being one of the worst.
Just last week, Madam Speaker, I was in Israel, and we went into the
Golan. We went north to the border, and we looked off over the border,
not only into Syria; we looked into Lebanon as well. We met with lone
soldiers, members from Chicago who went over to Israel to join the IDF
and fight, and they are terrified and prepared for attacks from
Hezbollah.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1
minute.
Mr. DOLD. Madam Speaker, this is an important bill, one that makes
sure we do not lose sight of the threat posed by Hezbollah, and one
that we have to make sure that we are vigilant, that we know where the
resources are going.
This is a bill that, again, I want to thank the chairman for his
leadership on, and I want to thank Mr. Engel, the ranking member, for
his leadership, and Ted Deutch, a good friend, and Mark Meadows for all
that they are doing. This is something that, again, I encourage my
colleagues in this body to come together and unite behind another
unanimous vote to make sure the world knows that we will not sit idly
by, that we will do everything in our power to make sure that we track
down the funders of this terrorist organization to make sure that they
do not have the tools necessary for a reign of terror on Israel and the
West.

Mr. ROYCE. I yield myself such time as I may consume, Madam Speaker.
When we think about Hezbollah, we think about an organization that
was once a limited regional threat. Today, it really is global. It is
an organization conducting terrorist and criminal activities all over
the world, one that has actively targeted the United States now, if we
think about it, for 30 years. I think it shows no signs of letting up
as Iran, the regime there, shows no signs in letting up in its support
for Hezbollah.
So prior to the attacks of September 11, Iran's proxy was responsible
for the largest number of American deaths by terrorist organizations up
until that point when al Qaeda carried out that attack. This included
the 1993 bombing of the United States Embassy in Beirut and the bombing
of our United States Marine Corps barracks again that same year.
Hezbollah was responsible for providing funding and weapons to Iraqi
militias that killed hundreds of Americans in Iraq at the behest of
Iran. Hezbollah is behind the Iranian-sponsored slaughter that is going
on right now in Syria, and it is Hezbollah that is now not only on the
northern border of Israel, but also, with the support from Iran, it is
now up on the Golan Heights. It is now up just off the Golan Heights in
Syria there.

[[Page H2989]]

Hezbollah is now involved in supporting the Iranian-supported Houthi
takeover in Yemen. Hezbollah is a model; and as you heard the debate
recently on the Internet, should the Hezbollah model be replicated not
only among the Shia Houthi but in other parts of the region, we must
remember that any sanctions relief that we provide to Iran for a
nuclear agreement will have an impact on Iran's ability to further
support Hezbollah and the ability of that organization to carry out
future attacks on Americans, on our allies, or on other unfortunate
souls who oppose an Iranian takeover of that region.
Yet Hezbollah and their sponsor remain vulnerable. They are still
reliant on Iran's largesse and on proceeds from Hezbollah's illicit
activities. It is precisely those illicit activities, those
vulnerabilities, that we must target. So, Madam Speaker, passing the
Iran and the Hezbollah bills today will be a one-two punch against
terrorists backing Iran's nuclear weapons drive.
Madam Speaker, I urge all of the Members to support this measure.
Again, I thank Mr. Eliot Engel for his work and the other cosponsors of
the bill as well.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2297.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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