In the face of conservative demands he stop the transfer of the $6 billion in ransom money he paid to Iran Biden has – at least temporarily – stopped payment on the check.
According to reports by NBC News and other outlets the U.S. and Qatari governments have agreed to block Iran from accessing any of the $6 billion it gained access to as part of a prisoner swap deal between the Biden administration and Tehran last month, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told House Democrats on Thursday, according to three sources familiar with his remarks, two of whom were in the room.
The two sources in the room backgrounded by NBC said Adeyemo did not give any timeframe for how long the U.S. and Qatar agreed to block Iran’s access to the money.
Conservative critics of the White House’s decision to give Iran access to the $6 billion have said the money is fungible and that any funds Iran receives, regardless of whether it's for humanitarian assistance, would free up more money for it to fund terrorism.
And as the Federalist reported, the $6 billion is only one part of a greater Biden scheme to pour American dollars into the Iranian terrorist regime:
The $6 billion you’ve seen in every (other) headline is only the money being transferred from our friends in Qatar. But this is separate from the $10 billion of assets being transferred from Iraq, which [Foundation for Defense of Democracies advisor and former National Security Council official Richard] Goldberg says will continue on “a rolling basis.” Then there are the reports that Iran will be allowed to access $7 billion in fiat currency by trading drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund. He also says Japan is scheduled to transfer $3 billion to Iran.
Much of the pressure on Biden has been coming from Senate Republicans, with Republican Senators Tim Scott and Tom Cotton leading separate efforts against the $6 billion payout.
Wednesday, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, released the following statement after the attack on Israel, calling for the Senate Banking Committee to hold a hearing with Secretary Janet Yellen and for a Senate investigation into the release of $6 billion to Iran:
“In the face of evil, we must use every tool, weapon, and economic sanction available to provide for our nation's security and the security of Israel.
“As the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee with direct jurisdiction over our economic national security tools, including sanctions, I will push for Chairman Brown to invite and urge Treasury Secretary Yellen to testify as soon as possible on the $6 billion recently transferred to Iran and any sanctions gaps we might have with respect to Iran.
“The Senate should also investigate what led the Biden administration to allow a transfer of $6 billion to Iran and how it could expect Iran to not use that money to continue to fuel terrorism. The American people and Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East, deserve transparency and answers.
“We should be signaling strength - not leniency - when it comes to Iran. That’s why now is the time to pass my Solidify Iran Sanctions Act and send the message that Iran should not expect U.S. sanctions to lapse.
“The unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas - a U.S. designated terrorist organization - warrants the strongest response encompassing both military assistance and the most stringent economic sanctions. I look forward to thoroughly examining additional areas where we can hold these Iranian backed terrorist organizations accountable.”
Meanwhile, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) yesterday announced they will introduce and seek unanimous consent to pass legislation to block Iran from accessing the $6 billion in funds that the Biden administration released in August.
“Iran is the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism. In addition to funding Hamas’s devastating terrorist attacks against Israel, the regime’s proxies have attacked dozens of American targets in the region in recent years. The Biden administration’s decision to let Iran access the $6 billion immediately freed up other money for the regime to fund its attacks in Israel. The Biden administration should immediately re-freeze the funds,” said Senator Cotton.
“The path of resources, training, and lethal weapons from Tehran to terrorists throughout the Middle East is crystal clear. On Saturday, it enabled cold-blooded killers like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to perpetrate the deadliest day of violence against Jews in decades,” said Leader McConnell. “The civilized world must re-impose serious consequences on the regime that aids and abets murderous evil against innocent Israelis. The United States must lead that effort by our example, and freezing Iranian assets is an important first step.”
Text of the bill may be found here.
The Capitol Switchboard is (202-224-3121), call today and tell your Senators and Representative that under no circumstances should the Biden administration be allowed to release one penny to Iran’s murderous regime. Demand that they co-sponsor Senator Cotton’s bill to block Iran from accessing the $6 billion in funds that the Biden administration released in August, and support Senator Tim Scott’s call for Banking Committee hearings on the entire matter of Biden weakening financial sanctions on Iran.
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