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United States Rep. Ed Royce, who chairs the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, in an opinion piece on Wednesday in the Washington Post warned of the dangers of additional concessions by the Obama administration to the mullahs’ regime in Iran. The following is the text of his op-ed:<\/p>\n
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The United States must not aid and abet Iranian money laundering<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The Washington Post<\/strong><\/p>\n By Ed Royce<\/strong><\/p>\n April 6, 2016<\/p>\n The writer, a Republican from California, is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Iran has yet to see the economic growth it wants from President Obama\u2019s nuclear deal, and it\u2019s demanding additional concessions \u2014 above and beyond the agreement \u2014 in return for nothing. Specifically, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wants the United States to end sanctions aimed at curbing Iran\u2019s funding for terrorism and illicit weapons so Iran can gain access to the U.S. financial system, where the majority of international business is conducted.<\/p>\n At a news conference Friday, Obama walked back reports that Iran would be allowed direct access to the U.S. dollar, saying, \u201cThat\u2019s not actually the approach that we\u2019re taking.\u201d He did not, however, explicitly close the door to other steps that would give the regime access to U.S. dollars through offshore clearinghouses. In other words, Iran would be allowed to launder dollars while the administration looked the other way.<\/p>\n This is an alarming departure from the Obama administration\u2019s position just months ago. Indeed, when selling the nuclear deal to the American people last year, the administration repeatedly stressed to Congress that key terrorism, missile and human rights sanctions against Iran would continue to be vigorously enforced.<\/p>\n Take Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, for example. Last summer, in testimony to Congress, Lew vowed, \u201cIranian banks will not be able to clear U.S. dollars through New York, hold correspondent account relationships with U.S. financial institutions, or enter into financing arrangements with U.S. banks.\u201d As the secretary made clear, \u201cIran, in other words, will continue to be denied access to the world\u2019s largest financial and commercial market.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet when I questioned Lew just two weeks ago about whether he stood by this testimony, he refused to give a direct answer. And so this appears to be just the latest in a long pattern of concessions to protect the president\u2019s \u201clegacy\u201d deal. In recent months, the administration gutted a new law to strengthen the visa waiver program to please the Iranians and has imposed only minimal sanctions on Iran\u2019s missile program \u2014 even as Iran launches missiles stamped with the words \u201cIsrael must be wiped off the face of the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n Iran claims it wants an end to these sanctions, and in turn greater access to the world\u2019s financial systems, to spur economic growth. But countries that want to attract international investment shouldn\u2019t shovel cash to terrorists while accelerating production of the delivery vehicle for a nuclear weapon. Nor should they threaten neighbors with annihilation.<\/p>\n Allowing a belligerent Iran access to the U.S. dollar poses real dangers to our country and economy. In February, the Financial Action Task Force \u2014 an organization comprising nearly 40 nations \u2014 warned that it is \u201cexceptionally concerned about Iran\u2019s failure to address the risk of terrorist financing and the serious threat this poses\u201d to the world\u2019s financial system. That\u2019s why I\u2019m working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on legislation to put in place strict statutory prohibitions to keep Iran from receiving the benefits of accessing the U.S. financial system.<\/p>\n Iran has seen what Obama will do to preserve his nuclear deal, and it\u2019s taking full advantage. The United States cannot cave again. Congress should make clear that until the Iranian regime drops its illicit missile program and funding of terrorism, it won\u2019t receive another dime of sanctions relief.<\/p>\n