Royce introduces bill to end cash payments to Iran

U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) introduced the Prohibiting Future Ransom Payments to Iran Act, H.R. 5931, on Tuesday as a measure to ensure that no future cash payments are made to the Iranian regime.

“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,” Royce said. “All of this was done in secret, hidden from the American people and from Congress. This bill will ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

The bill would make clear that the president 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 and demands transparency on future settlements to ensure that they are not used to pay ransom.

The bill’s cosponsors include U.S. Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Mark Meadows (R-NC), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Dan Donovan (R-NY), Charlie Dent (R-PA), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Mike Conaway (R-TX), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Reid Ribble (R-WI), Dave Trott (R-MI), David Young (R-IA), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Paul Cook (R-CA), Robert Pittenger (R-NC), Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Sean Duffy (R-WI) and Devin Nunes (R-CA).