Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced that on Wednesday, November 13, he will convene a hearing to examine ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran.  The hearing will coincide with the 100th day of Hassan Rouhani’s presidency in Iran.

Chairman Royce on the hearing:  “Instead of toughening sanctions to get meaningful and lasting concessions, the Obama Administration looks to be settling for interim and reversible steps.  A partial freeze of enrichment, as we’re hearing, is not a freeze.  As called for in U.N. Security Council resolutions, all of Iran’s enrichment – the key bomb-making technology – should be ceased.  We now run the risk of seriously weakening the sanctions structure painstakingly built-up against Iran over years.  Once weakened, it will be harder to ratchet up the economic pressure on Iran than it will be for the Iranians to ratchet up their nuclear program.” 

Chairman Royce is the author of the bipartisan Nuclear Iran Prevention Act (H.R. 850), which overwhelmingly passed the House in July and is currently pending in the Senate.  The legislation increases pressure on the Iranian regime amid its continued attempt to acquire a nuclear weapons capability.  The legislation broadens economic sanctions, strengthens human rights sanctions, and increases oversight of the implementation and enforcement of existing sanctions.

What:

Hearing:  “Examining Nuclear Negotiations: Iran After Rouhani’s First 100 Days”

When:

10 a.m., Wednesday, November 13

Where: 

2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Witnesses: 

Mr. Mark Dubowitz
Executive Director
Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Ms. Danielle Pletka
Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies
American Enterprise Institute

Mr. Colin Kahl
Associate Professor
Georgetown University

***See foreignaffairs.house.gov for updates. 

***Coverage note:  All Foreign Affairs Committee proceedings are webcast live at foreignaffairs.house.gov/live-video-feed.

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