{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr5931-114/featured_prohibiting-future-ransom-payments-to-iran-act-1479266210.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr5931-114/featured_large_prohibiting-future-ransom-payments-to-iran-act-1479266210.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr5931-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2016-09-06","title_override":"Do Cash Payments to Iran for \"Ransom\" Need to be Stopped?","summary_override":"

This bill would prohibit the U.S. government from making payments to the Iranian government involving dollars or foreign currency while reaffirming that it’s U.S. policy not to pay ransom or release prisoners in exchange for the release of American citizens held hostage overseas. The ban on direct or indirect cash payments to Iran would remain in effect until the president certifies that Iran doesn’t participate in money laundering or finance terrorism.

Future payments to Iran would be assessed on a case-by-case basis in a format that doesn’t give Iran access to U.S. dollars or other forms of currency. The Office of Foreign Assets Control within the Dept. of the Treasury would be responsible for granting a license for the transaction.

The president would be required to publish a list of of all transactions with Iran in the Federal Register, and notify Congress at least 30 days prior to completing a settlement with Iran by verifying the following details about the transaction:

The amount of the transaction, including total principal and interest;
Legal analysis of the settlement;
A presidential certification that it is not a ransom for hostages held by Iran;
An identification of the divisions of Iran’s government that will get the funds;
A certification that the funds won’t be used to fund terrorism or the Assad regime in Syria;
Whether an equal amount of Iranian funds are available and accessible in the U.S. to compensate victims of Iranian-sponsored terrorism.

","official_title":"To provide for the prohibition on cash payments to the Government of Iran, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Prohibiting Future Ransom Payments to Iran Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Prohibiting Future Ransom Payments to Iran Act\n\n(Sec. 3) This bill declares that it shall be U.S. policy not to pay ransom or release prisoners for the purpose of securing the release of U.S. citizens taken hostage abroad.\n\n(Sec. 4) The U.S. government is prohibited from providing monetary instruments or precious metals to the government of Iran.\n\nThe conduct of a transaction or payment in connection with an agreement to settle a claim or claims brought before the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal (established on January 19, 1981) may be made only: (1) on a case-by-case basis pursuant to a specific license by the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, and (2) in a manner that does not contradict such monetary instruments or precious metals prohibition. The President must publish in the Federal Register a list of such transactions or payments. The term \"agreement to settle a claim or claims brought before the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal\" shall not be const...","summarized":true,"cost":500000,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimates that enacting this bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2017-2021 period.","impact":"Iran; the Treasury Dept.; and the president.","argument_for":"The U.S. government shouldn’t be giving cash to Iran as ransom for hostages while it continues to launder money and finance terrorism, and Congress needs to act to ensure that it doesn’t.","argument_against":"The $400 million wasn’t a ransom payment, the executive branch needed to settle an old arms deal with Iran as part of the nuclear agreement and the timing was purely coincidental.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr5931-114","bill_id":"hr5931-114","formal_id":"H.R. 5931","chamber":"house","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2016-09-26T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2016-09-23T01:20:33.000Z","debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/5931","plain_text_url":null,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr5931-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/5931/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2016-09-06","related_bill_ids":["hres879-114"],"progress":"Passed House","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":182,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Foreign Affairs","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSFA","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Committee on Foreign Relations","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSFR","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr5931-114","details":"/api/bills/hr5931-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr5931-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr5931-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr5931-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":70,"slug":"hr5931-114-prohibiting-future-ransom-payments-to-iran-act","latest_chamber_votes_id":"hr5931-114","official_url":null,"target_video":false,"following":false,"vote_count":1390,"yea_vote_count":973,"nay_vote_count":408,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["international-trade-and-affairs"],"issue_ids":["international-trade-and-affairs","federal-agencies","iran"],"sponsor_id":257}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"international-trade-and-affairs","name":"International Trade & Affairs","slug":"international-trade-and-affairs","description":"U.S. Congressional Legislation encompassing arms control treaties, human rights, international law, sanctions, and foreign aid. 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Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Federal Agencies Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/black_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/grey_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/federal-agencies/white_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"iran","name":"Iran","slug":"iran","description":"Should the U.S. sanction or negotiate with Iran? 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And proud member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. BYU student in Fall of 2017","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"quasi-objectivist.mormon","issue_count":17,"is_following":null,"influence_score":940,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":20,"following_count":10,"position_count":43,"id":"aW5qExYW","partner_id":null},{"name":"Loraki","vote_count":1215,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/large_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/small_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/tiny_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/100000827158540/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/following","followers":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/followers"},"about_me":"I'm a member of the Church of Christ (non-institutional). 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I'm very fond of my OESheepdog and my Norwegian Forest cat, too.\n\n• I'm a Constitutional Conservative and a patriot. \n•. I support the Tea Party. \n• I'm for limited government and free market capitalism. \n• I'm also for school choice and school prayer. \n• I'm against abortion and same-sex \"marriage\". \n• I'm TOTALLY AGAINST the implementation of Shariah law at any level in the United States! \n• I'm for SECURE BORDERS and reduced immigration, especially of Muslims! \n• I believe ALL illegal aliens should be deported. Those who enter our country illegally should not be given special privileges at the taxpayers' expense! \n• I believe that Congress should balance the budget and Uncle Sam should live within his means - without raising taxes! \n• I also believe in \"peace through strength\" - keep our military strong and keep out the transgenders! Freedom of religion applies to the military as well as civilians! I'm AGAINST allowing foreigners to join our military! 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Quasi-Objectivist.Mormon

Do Cash Payments to Iran for "Ransom" Need to be Stopped?