For immediate release: Monday, July 26, 2010
Contact: Oversight and Government Reform Press Office, (202) 225-5051

Chairman Towns Announces Hearing to Examine the Implementation of Iran Sanctions

WASHINGTON – Chairman Edolphus “Ed” Towns (D-NY) today announced that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing on Thursday, July 29, 2010, entitled, “Implementation of Iran Sanctions.” The hearing will examine the implementation of Iran sanctions, including efforts to discourage companies from doing business with Iran as long as Iran continues to work on developing nuclear weapons and supports terrorism.

Chairman Towns joined a bipartisan group of 363 Members of Congress who wrote to President Obama on April 15, 2010, to express concern over the threat of Iran’s nuclear program and to offer bipartisan support for tough measures, including a prohibition on the practice of awarding billions of Federal dollars to companies investing in or doing business with Iran.

On July 1, 2010, the President signed into law a sweeping new set of U.S. sanctions targeting Iran’s energy and financial sectors that build upon the recently passed United Nations (U.N.) Security Council Resolution 1929.

International concern about Iran's nuclear weapons program led the U.N. Security Council to impose its fourth round of economic sanctions on Iran.  The new U.N. sanctions, passed on June 9, 2010, toughen shipping inspections and restrict exported goods that might be used in Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

The hearing, which was originally scheduled on July 19, 2010, will take place at 10:00 a.m. in room 2154 Rayburn House Office Building.

The witnesses invited to testify include:

Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat
Partner
Covington & Burling LLP

Mr. Joseph A. Christoff
Director
International Affairs and Trade
Government Accountability Office

Mark Dubowitz
Executive Director
Foundation for Defense of Democracies

U.S. Department of State (Invited)

U.S. Department of the Treasury (Invited)

###