The following are excerpts of remarks by Rep. Chris Smith on H.R. 3457 during debate on the floor of the House of Representatives  October 1, 2015:

    Mr. Speaker, in 1983, 241 American servicemen in Beirut were killed and another 60 injured by a car bomb.

    One of the Marines murdered was my constituent, Paul Innocenzi III, who lived with his young family in my hometown of Hamilton.  In my second term as congressman, I joined mourners at his funeral.  I will never forget the agony and sorrow of his family.  Iranian terrorism killed Paul Innocenzi and over the decades, has killed or maimed thousands of other Americans.

     A federal court, Mr. Speaker, found that the 1983 bombing was “beyond question” perpetrated by “Hezbollah and its agents (who) received massive material and technical support from the Iranian government.”  Later a three-judge federal appeals court panel approved $1.75 billion in judgement against Iran for the 1983 bombing and some other Iranian acts of terror.

    Today Iran is poised to get billions of dollars through so-called sanctions relief for an egregiously flawed comprehensive plan of action, money that will procure for Iran a significantly larger arsenal of sophisticated weapons and an enhanced capability to terrorize, murder and destabilize.

    The Chairman talked about Iran’s $21 billion weapons purchase from Russia. Billions more to Iran will exponentially increase weapons buys.  The Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act authored by Pat Meehan says “not so fast.”

      The President has said he will veto this bill.  That is wrong, Mr. Speaker.  That is uncaring, it is unacceptable, it is unconscionable, and does a grave disservice to American victims of Iranian terrorism.

      Support court-ordered victim payments by the terrorist state of Iran. Fundamental justice demands that this bill becomes law.