Press Release

Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA), the Vice-Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement after the House voted to pass a bill that punishes Russian interference in the 2016 elections and imposes additional sanctions on Iran and North Korea:

"Russia, Iran, and North Korea present significant challenges to peace and stability around the world. The United States will always defend our values at home and abroad and that means confronting our adversaries when they threaten our nation or our interests.

"Russia's attempts in 2016 to sway our elections cannot be tolerated. This bipartisan bill responds to Russia by imposing additional sanctions on the country while preventing President Trump from repealing sanctions against Russia without Congressional approval. These sanctions will also degrade Russia's ability to spread disinformation and deter them from launching future cyberattacks.

"In the Middle East, these sanctions target anyone who provides financial or technical support to Iran's ballistic missile program and exposes Iran's human rights violations. The bill also enacts a strong arms embargo that weakens Iran's ability to obtain heavy weaponry such as helicopters, tanks, and missiles. These sanctions will greatly improve our ability to counter and contain Iranian threats and aggression in the region.

"Finally, this bill continues to put pressure on the North Korean regime and those who do business with them. By targeting their missile program and financial sector, it will help drive North Korea back to the negotiating table so we can resolve this crisis peacefully."

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