Recently in Opinion-Editorials

A new and troubling study is out today showing that 1 in 50 American school children are on the autism spectrum. That is a dramatically higher number than the already high numbers of 1 in 88 children that was released in March of last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.

Members of Congress, myself included, need to reflect on the dramatic increase in autism spectrum disorders. Currently, the Autism Society estimates that the lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism ranges from $3.5 million to $5 million, and that the United States is facing almost $90 billion annually in costs for autism (this figure includes research, insurance costs and non-covered expenses, Medicaid waivers for autism, educational spending, housing, transportation, employment, in addition to related therapeutic services and caregiver costs).

While so far we do not have scientific breakthroughs to “outgrow” autism, it is treatable -- especially when it is diagnosed early. Early diagnosis followed by therapies can lead to dramatic and exciting positive changes. These can literally make the difference to an individual with autism who otherwise might face a lifetime of dependency, but who can instead lead a life of independence, filled with loving relationships and more. That is why it is so important to diagnose and offer positive supports early.

Parents should look for signs in their children:

• Lack of or delay in spoken language 
  
• Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
  
• Little or no eye contact
  
• Lack of interest in peer relationships
  
• Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
  
• Persistent fixation on parts of objects

We need to help support better scientific and medical understanding regarding autism. We also need to work every day to improve opportunities for people who already have Autism to get needed therapies, school supports and transitional services so they can get into jobs and have lives of dignity and respect. I am a proud supporter of many of these measures, and am pleased to know that as President Barack Obama and Israel’s President Shimon Peres are meeting today that they will discuss brain and other science in addition to other critical issues that I also care about.

Autism levels are growing and our government plays a key role in the solutions. But we cannot do it alone. Faith communities – churches, synagogues, mosques and others – need to do more. While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) exempts religious institutions, they still ought to ensure they are fully welcoming people, regardless of their physical or mental capabilities, into their places of worship, education and fellowship.

Sadly, approximately 70 percent of Americans with disabilities who are working age are unemployed. This is an area where the government can and must do much more. But religious congregations can also encourage their congregants who are employers to offer unpaid internships to high school students with disabilities so that they can get the real-world practical experience that can help them get a job later. They can hire qualified people with disabilities in their own institutions. They can also encourage their members to volunteer to serve as “job coaches” to help people with a wide range of disabilities to get jobs.

Together public, private, non-profit and faith institutions must do more to help people with disabilities not only survive, but also to thrive.

For nearly 16 years I have been fighting for working families in the Valley.  I have worked to bring jobs to our community, and to make sure that those who already have jobs receive all the healthcare and benefits to which they are entitled – but there is much work yet to be done.

                First and foremost, I believe that Congress must work together to pass a jobs bills that puts Americans back to work, which would set our economy on a faster and more prosperous course to recovery.  I support President Obama’s proposal that would create over one million jobs for those who build our roads, teach our kids, and police our streets.  But we cannot pass this bill without bipartisan compromise, and I stand ready to work with Republicans to write a bipartisan bill.  Although we are in the throes of a deeply divisive political season, some endeavors are far too important to be stopped by partisan differences in Washington.

                Here in the Valley, I have helped secure two million dollars in federal grant funds for the Valley Economic Development Center (VEDC) to help spur job creation and economic growth by providing small businesses with financing, consulting and training, as well as developing programs to provide job training and referral services for local residents seeking employment. 

Part of this funding is helping the VEDC expand access to capital for small businesses and leverage larger loans from banks and private investors.  It also provides administrative support to businesses seeking loan application assistance.  At a time when many small businesses face overwhelming challenges, institutions like the VEDC have become an increasingly vital resource for small business lending.

I also helped the VEDC establish the West San Fernando Valley Business Revitalization Program.  The program provided qualified small businesses in the West Valley with financing, technical assistance and training to help create and sustain local jobs.  These types of investments will help revitalize our communities and spur economic growth and recovery throughout the region.

               That is why in 2010 I helped pass the Small Business Jobs Act, a bill that has helped spur economic growth and create new jobs by encouraging the growth of American small businesses. The Small Business Jobs Act improved access to much-needed lending on Main Street, including over $12 billion in loans by the federal Small Business Administration.  The bill also offered new tax incentives to encourage firms to expand and hire new employees, and keeps jobs in America by closing tax loopholes that reward multinational corporations that ship jobs overseas.  Moreover, the Small Business Jobs Act is fully paid for and will not add to the deficit.

               I have also fought to save jobs, particularly those in the Entertainment industry which employs many Valley residents.  A recent study has found that the motion picture industry loses $20.5 billion annually due to phony DVD sales and other forms of piracy. This costs nearly 150,000 new American jobs, including many in our area. I cosponsored and helped pass the PRO-IP Act, which is improving the enforcement of intellectual property laws and has increased the penalties for piracy.

                One of the most important things our office does is assist businesses and employers located in the San Fernando Valley. We provide information about the various federal agencies that assist small businesses and entrepreneurial development, business regulations, financing, government contracting, and export assistance.  Our office also can provide information on how to sell to the federal government, and we will work on your behalf to request timely action on your proposals, and to ensure that they receive full consideration.

                I continue to believe that there are more good ideas in the Valley than in Washington, which is why I appreciate hearing from you.  Do not hesitate to contact my San Fernando Valley office at (818) 501-9200 to share your views or visit my website www.BradSherman.house.gov. 

Congressman Sherman Prioritizing Education

As students from all across the country head back to school, I wanted to take a moment to remind you of my efforts to make education a priority in the San Fernando Valley.

A quality education is the key to success and is one of the best investments we can make as a nation.  That is why I have fought for the past 15 years to bring more funds to Valley schools.  Most recently I worked to secure $331 million for Los Angeles schools for the 2012-2013 school year.
The average U.S. public school building is 40 years old, with billions needed for school maintenance and repairs nationwide.  Along with my colleagues, I helped introduce the Fix America’s Schools Today (FAST) Act which would provide $25 billion to improve our schools. This would immediately put people back to work rebuilding and modernizing school buildings.

I also helped secure federal funds for the Guadalupe Community Center, a local organization which provides counseling, tutoring, and after school activities for local students.  At the beginning of each school year my staff and I gather at the Guadalupe Community Center to help distribute much needed school supplies to kids from the West Valley.  This center is indispensable for the community.

I have also fought to fully fund Head Start, a program that helps parents afford the child care they need to hold jobs, and gives young children a head start in their education.  A good head start can help students achieve their goals of attaining a college degree or higher.

Helping students and families manage the cost of a higher education has been one of my top priorities in Congress. I cosponsored and helped pass the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, the single largest investment in our nation’s history assisting students and families pay for college. This legislation included an increase in the maximum Pell grant, which now allocates $5,550 per student to help students pay for higher education. It also implemented the American Opportunity Tax credit, which provides a $2,500 tuition tax credit to students and families.

In July, my colleagues and I helped prevent student loan interest rates from doubling by passing the College Cost Reduction Act extension – a measure which extended low interest rates for student loans.  Without this Congressional action, almost eight million undergraduate students would have seen the interest rates on their need-based student loans double from 3.4% to 6.8% - costing the average borrower more than $2,800 in additional interest payments.

Our Valley office regularly assists prospective and current students, as well as graduates who are still paying off their loans, learn about their student loan options. Please call (818) 501-9200 if you have any questions.

However, in order to continue to do my job, I need to hear your views on both local issues and those affecting our entire nation.  I continue to believe that there are more good ideas in the Valley than in Washington, which is why I appreciate hearing from you. Do not hesitate to contact my San Fernando Valley office to share yours, (818) 501-9200, or come to my next Town Hall Meeting, visit my website for details: www.BradSherman.house.gov. 

Including Town Hall & Seminar on Refinancing & Foreclosure Prevention
By Congressman Brad Sherman

Only part of my job is working on legislation in the House of Representatives, and in the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees.  An equally important part of my job is my work here in the San Fernando Valley, communicating with Valley residents and helping to resolve problems that people are having with federal agencies.  

We have helped thousands of San Fernando Valley residents resolve problems regarding immigration and citizenship, applying for visas, the Internal Revenue Service, and Medicare and Social Security.  All services provided by my office are free of charge.  Whether you are seeking assistance with a federal agency or looking for assistance in arranging tours of the U.S. Capitol and other Washington attractions, I hope you will not hesitate to contact me at (818) 501-9200.  My website, bradsherman.house.gov, also provides helpful information.  

Over the years, I have held over one hundred and sixty Town Hall Meetings in the San Fernando Valley.    These Town Hall Meetings are a great chance for me to listen to your comments and respond to questions.  Town Hall meetings are critical to the public policy process, providing an opportunity for me to hear about the most pressing concerns in our community and to elaborate on the work that my colleagues and I are tackling in Congress.
Our next Town Hall meeting will take place on Sunday, August 5th, at SOCES on 18605 Erwin Street, Tarzana, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. (Although SOCES stands for Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, the campus is located in Tarzana)..  There I will discuss the economy, taxes, housing, the national debt, education, Social Security and Medicare as well as other issues facing Congress.  Most of the meeting will be devoted to listening and responding to questions from Valley residents.  My district office staff will be on hand to help constituents resolve any problems they may have with federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The event, refreshments and parking are free.  We are also having a Town Hall meeting on Sunday August 26.  See my website for more information.
My office has also helped many residents receive assistance with mortgage foreclosure and refinancing.  In addition to my Town Hall meeting, I will address housing issues on Saturday, August 4, 2012, at a seminar on refinancing, home purchasing and foreclosure avoidance at the Sherman Oaks/East Valley Adult Center located at 5060 Van Nuys Boulevard from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  The seminar is open to all Valley residents.

If you want to be notified of both the in-person town halls and telephone town halls we hold in the future, you should sign up to receive e-mails from my office.  You can do this by visiting my website: BradSherman.house.gov.  If you go to the website and “sign up” to receive emails, I promise to keep you fully informed.  You can also follow my activities on Twitter at Twitter.com/BradSherman or on Facebook (“Congressman Brad Sherman”).

Again, please call my office if I can be of assistance at (818) 501-9200.  
 

By Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) - 05/17/12 11:16 AM ET

Is it any wonder why banks like JP Morgan can take such great risks?  We have set a precedent whereby our major banks operate with an implicit guarantee that the government will be standing by to bail them out. JP Morgan’s multibillion dollar debacle is just the latest example of why we must better regulate Wall Street, and break up entities that are deemed too big to fail. Taxpayers may not have needed to bail JP Morgan out this time, but a recent history lesson should remind us why banks that are too big to fail are too big to exist.
 
In October 2008, some big Wall Street firms that had made bad investments in the imploding mortgage market decided that taxpayers should cover their losses. Wall Street flooded into Congress and demanded that taxpayers bail them out by using tax money to buy $700 billion worth of their bad mortgages. Wall Street called them “toxic assets” and called their bailout plan TARP, the Toxic Asset Recovery Program. The plan was for the taxpayers to buy their near-worthless toxic assets, so Wall Street could recover their investments. Our cash, for their trash.

After TARP was blocked in the House, the program was retooled. Not a dollar of taxpayer money was used to purchase toxic assets. Instead we bought preferred stock, a much better investment, and our losses a small fraction of what they would have been.
 
Today the biggest banks have an unfair competitive advantage through access to a lower-cost capital. Since they are regarded as “too big to fail,” they can receive loans at a lower rate because they have a safety net that the small and medium sized banks don’t have: the backing of the US taxpayer. This should not be – every financial institution should compete for capital based on the soundness of its balance sheet, and no financial institution should be able to claim that there is a special federal safety net available to its investors because of the institution’s sheer size.
 
The financial regulatory reform we passed under the Dodd-Frank Act already tasks the Federal Reserve and other regulators to identify the financial institutions that are so big that if they were to fail it would be a systemic problem for the country. The problem is, once these banks are identified, what should we do about it?  Regulators, including the Fed and the Treasury have the authority under the Dodd-Frank to break up the largest banks, but it is highly unlikely they will use that authority. I believe that once we identify an institution as too big to fail, we must force it to divide.
 
Every protozoa has the intelligence to divide once it reaches a certain size, and the division is necessary to maintain health. Certainly the brilliant men and women on Wall Street are capable of intelligently dividing their behemoth firms.
 
Never again should a financial institution be able to claim: “if we go down, the U.S. economy is going down with us.” By breaking up these institutions long before they face a crisis, we ensure a healthy financial system where all firms can compete in the free market. No longer should giant financial institutions be able to get low-cost capital by telling investors that even if the institution is mismanaged it will be able to obtain a bailout from the federal government. That is why I have introduced the “Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Exist Act,” (HR 4963). This bill mandates the break-up of any institution identified by the regulators in the Dodd-Frank process as too big to fail. The legislation is similar to legislation authored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I–Vt) and introduced in the 11th Congress and legislation authored by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and recently introduced in the 112th Congress.
 
My legislation is cosponsored by Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) and I invite additional cosponsors.

Rep. Sherman (D-Calif.) is a member of the House Financial Services Committee.

My number one priority in Congress is putting Valley residents back to work.  President Obama has laid out an economic plan which I generally support.  In fact, I strongly supported the extension of the payroll tax holiday, which provides rough $100 dollars a month to the average working person in the Valley. 

I also believe that Washington’s trade policy during the last decade has hurt American workers.  For too long, we have seen the U.S. export jobs rather than products.  Last year, our national debt was a massive $738 billion dollars – this costs us millions of jobs, lowers wages, and further indebts future generations to foreign nations.  That is why I introduced the Emergency China Trade Act, which will strip China of preferential access to our markets until they end unfair trade practices.  We need a trade policy that creates and keeps good paying jobs here for American working families.  Balanced trade with China could potentially reduce our unemployment rate to less than 5 percent.

Additionally, I believe that current tax law actually creates incentives for job-creation overseas.  Multi-national corporations manufacture products in foreign countries, sell those products here, and pay no taxes by using tax havens like the Cayman Islands.  I cosponsored legislation that will close these loopholes, the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act.  I believe American employers should receive a tax break when they create jobs here in the United States.  That is why I helped introduce the American Jobs Act, to provide tax incentives for companies that hire Americans.  The American Jobs Act also offers a clear plan to rebuild and reinvest in American infrastructure, strengthen small business and grow our nation’s economy.

I am also committed to working closely with business leaders from the San Fernando Valley and across the country to enact federal laws important to improving our business climate.  That is why I joined my colleagues in passing H.R. 5297, the Small Business Jobs Act, by a vote of 237-187.  The Small Business Jobs Act has helped spur economic growth and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs by encouraging the growth of American small businesses.  It increased much-needed lending to Main Street and offers eight new tax incentives so that firms may expand and hire new employees.  The bill also helps keep jobs in America by closing tax loopholes that reward multinational corporations that ship jobs overseas.  This bill is fully paid for and will not add to the deficit.

One of the most important things our office does is assist businesses and employers located in the San Fernando Valley.  We provide information about the various federal agencies that assist small businesses and entrepreneurial development, business regulations, financing, government contracting, minority-owned business programs, strategic assistance, export assistance and overseas investment opportunities.  Our office also can provide information on how to sell to the federal government, and we will work on your behalf to request timely action on your proposals to the government, and to ensure that they receive full consideration.  Please contact my office at 818-501-9200 to request additional information. I continue to believe that there are more good ideas in the Valley than in Washington, which is why I appreciate hearing from you. Do not hesitate to contact my San Fernando Valley office to share yours.

I will continue fighting to restore jobs and support workers in the San Fernando Valley and across the country.

By Brad Sherman

Since going to Congress, I have helped lead the effort to reduce congestion on our local roads and highways and improve transit service throughout the San Fernando Valley.  In 1998, I secured federal funds to initiate several improvements at the 101/405 interchange – one of the busiest bottlenecks in the nation.  Improvements include the extension of the northbound 405 carpool lane between Burbank Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard, widening the Van Nuys Boulevard off ramps and developing plans to improve the southbound 405 connector to the 101 Freeway.
 
Federal funds are helping construct a new lane on the northbound 405 Freeway through the heavily congested Sepulveda Pass.  The I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvement Project is slated to be completed in Spring 2013.  Working with others, I was successful in my efforts to secure federal and state funding for the largest transportation improvement project in our region.

Over the years, I have worked to secure funding for two additional lanes (one in each direction) on the 5 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley.  As a result of these efforts, the state is dedicating millions in state bond funding and over $70 million in federal funds to accelerate construction of carpool lanes on the 5 Freeway from the 118 to the 134 Freeways with construction expected to be completed by 2015.  The project will also include a major reconfiguration of the Empire Avenue/I-5 interchange to ease congestion.
I am pleased to have secured federal funds for the Orange Line, which now carries a daily average of 25,000 riders along a dedicated busway from Warner Center in Woodland Hills to the North Hollywood Red Line Station.  The Orange Line Extension, which will extend north to Chatsworth, is under construction with plans for completion in Summer 2012.  I fought to extend the Orange Line north along the Metro owned railroad right-of-way as soon as officials completed construction of the original Orange Line in 2005.  The four-mile route will extend north from the Canoga Station to the Chatsworth Metrolink Station and improve connectivity for bus and rail passengers to key stops such as Warner Center, Pierce College, Sepulveda Basin, Van Nuys Civic Center, Valley College and North Hollywood, where it connects to the red line subway.  The new extension will feature the same amenities as the existing route, such as a bikeway and pedestrian path in addition to park and ride lots.

Although it is highly unusual for Congress to set aside funds for local street improvements, the City of Los Angeles has resurfaced over 16 miles of roadway throughout the San Fernando Valley, using federal funds I secured for Valley transportation improvements.  The funds will also provide for street lighting and intersection improvements.
 
I have also worked with local officials to secure transportation funds to improve safety and reduce congestion on the 118 Freeway westbound off ramp at Tampa Avenue, the Balboa Boulevard and Rinaldi Street intersection, and San Fernando Road and Balboa Road intersection. 
 
In order to do my job, I need to hear your views on both local issues and those affecting our entire nation.  I continue to believe that there are more good ideas in the Valley than in Washington, which is why I appreciate hearing from you. Do not hesitate to contact my San Fernando Valley office to share yours, (818) 501-9200, or come to my next Town Hall Meeting on Sunday, April 1st from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30pm at Birmingham High School.  
 

-30-
 

This past year, new threats arose to the existence of Medicare and Social Security as we know it.  In April of 2011, the Republican Majority in the House of Representatives passed a radical plan to eliminate Medicare and replace it with a voucher program. Seniors would have to use their own money, along with a government voucher, to purchase insurance from private insurance companies. While this Republican plan has not passed the Senate, I strongly opposed any efforts in the House to create a “voucher” system that effectively wipes out Medicare’s guaranteed health care benefits.  According to the Joint Economic Committee, the Republican Medicare plan would increase the average senior citizen’s out-of-pocket medical costs by $6,300 per year.

There are also new proposals in Congress to privatize Social Security.  These plans would cut future Social Security benefits and divert these savings to fund new private accounts.  Because these plans would divert massive sums from the Social Security Trust Fund, it would leave the program in a deep financial hole, and likely lead to cuts in benefits.  I have consistently opposed any and all efforts to privatize Social Security.  I believe Social Security belongs to the people who contribute, not the government—it must not be hijacked to pay the federal debt.  The money put in should be protected and used only for Social Security.

All Americans should seek a comfortable retirement including IRA’s, 401(k)’s and similar accounts.  However, any sound retirement plan starts with an inflation-adjusted lifetime annuity -- a monthly check for life that you cannot lose, and you cannot outlive.  This is what Social Security provides.  We should not replace a guarantee with a gamble.

Previously, Medicare did not provide any coverage for prescription drug costs between $2,840 and $6,447 per year – causing a “donut hole” or coverage gap for prescription drugs.  Now, thanks to legislation that I supported, recipients whose drug costs fall within the donut hole are receiving a 50% discount on brand-name prescription drugs.  The out-of-pocket costs for seniors’ drug costs falling in the donut hole will be further reduced incrementally until it is completely eliminated in 2020.  But some in Congress would reinstate the donut hole, placing additional burdens on seniors in need of prescription drugs.  No American should have to choose between paying for groceries, and paying for vital prescription drugs.  I also oppose any proposal to repeal the new provision that provides seniors with free annual checkups without co-pays.

The good news is that, so far, we have been able to prevent these sweeping changes from taking place.  I will continue to fight plans to privatize Social Security or turn Medicare into a voucher program.

If you would like to tell me how I can better serve the community, please attend my next Town Hall meeting on Sunday, February 26 from 3:00 – 4:30pmPST at Reseda High School located at 18230 Kittridge Street.  Listening to Valley residents is one of the most important parts of my job. Town Hall Meetings are an opportunity to discuss issues facing Congress, including health care, the economy, taxes and education. The meetings also are a chance for you to meet my constituent service staff and get help dealing with federal agencies.

By Congressman Brad Sherman

In November Congress approved a provision that I have long championed that will help protect home values in the Valley and help our nation’s lagging economy. This new provision will raise the cap on FHA mortgages to $729,750 until December 31, 2013. That means that anyone trying to buy, sell, or refinance a home in the Valley of up to $729,750 will be eligible for an FHAinsured mortgage, which offers borrowers a much lower down payment, and a much lower interest rate. It also increases the likelihood that someone buying a home will get approved for a loan, and that those trying to sell their home will find an eligible buyer. This is especially true in high cost areas like the Valley. Without this FHA provision we would have seen another sudden decline in home prices, severely harming the Valley economy. In addition to keeping interests rates low, this provision also supports home values throughout the region and boosts the Valley economy.
Congressman Brad Sherman

All Valley residents will benefit by the simple fact that home owners in the region will have hundreds more dollars available each month to spend and reinvigorate the economy. Conversely, if home owners are otherwise saddled with high interest rates and deflated home values, everyone loses – no one would be spending any money, and the only local restaurant families could afford would have golden arches in the front. Most people are deeply invested in the value of their home, including senior citizens whose equity in their homes is critical to retirement plans. People who are invested in the housing market know that deflated home prices can have a domino effect. When one home in the neighborhood sells for less than it was bought, it can hurt the resale value of every other home nearby..

These increased loan limits are our best defense against another housing collapse in America’s ten biggest cities. Best of all, the loan limit extensions do not add to the deficit, nor do they require a dime of additional spending by the federal government. The FHA operates entirely from its self-generated income and costs the taxpayers nothing. I hope to make these limits permanent before the extension expires in 2013. Additionally, I have cosponsored the HOME Act which allows those with mortgages owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to refinance – even if they owe more than their home is currently worth. Mortgage rates are at historic lows and many homeowners want to refinance to reduce their monthly payments by hundreds or even thousands of dollars. But many homeowners do not have the 20 percent equity required to refinance, and some owe more than the current value of their home. This provision will help create jobs in the San Fernando Valley. Homeowners who save hundreds of dollars each month are good customers for local Valley businesses. Furthermore, it does not expose the federal government to additional risk because these mortgages are already guaranteed or owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. That is why I will continue to work with my colleagues and do everything in my power to permanently extend the FHA loan limit, and see that the HOME Act becomes law. We can’t afford another housing crisis.

-30-

By Congressman Brad Sherman (D – Sherman Oaks)

The Jewish Journal recently ran an article by anti-AIPAC blogger MJ Rosenberg criticizing me for pushing a provision in Iran sanctions legislation that would prohibit the sale of aircraft replacement parts and repair services for Iran’s ageing airliners.  Rosenberg is correct that I am the chief advocate for including that provision in the bill.  I want to make readers aware of some information he leaves out of his article attacking my motives for championing the provision. 

First, I oppose granting licenses needed to repair these planes because Tehran uses its supposedly civilian airliners in ways that help kill innocent people, namely Israelis, Iranian dissidents, Syrian protestors, and others disfavored by the regime in Tehran.  Iran has a long record of using its supposedly civilian state-controlled airlines to support terrorism and proliferation.

It is tragic that Iran chooses to fly unsafe passenger planes, but the fact of the matter is repairing these old planes would help enable the Iranian regime to continue its efforts to destabilize the Middle East and beyond. 

There are unsafe planes being flown all over the world, in poor countries throughout Africa and other parts of the developing world.  That is the reality.  We do not go out of our way to fix all of these planes, which go unrepaired because of lack of resources.  Yet we would, if the State Department had its way, fix the aircraft of the thugs that rule Iran.

The second, and perhaps more important reason, I believe we need to prohibit the export of the parts and services needed for the repair of Iranian-owned aircraft is this: if we are serious about stopping Iran’s nuclear program and terrorism, we have to be serious about causing very deep economic, political and diplomatic isolation of Iran.  Keeping their state-run airlines in the air is indeed counter to those objectives. 

The Iranian airlines should be grounded.  Iranians can still travel on the many European and Asian airlines that fly to Iran, and Iran could even license those carriers to make domestic flights.  The United States should make clear to the people of Iran, and to civil aviation authorities everywhere, that their planes are unsafe, people should not fly on them, and they should be grounded until Iran grounds its nuclear program and support for terrorism. We will be happy to fix them when that happens.  Until then, any airport in the world that allows them to land is undermining both air transportation safety and nuclear non-proliferation.

If this wider argument does not sway you, allow me to provide a short list of particulars regarding Iran’s use of its “civilian” aircraft:  

The U.N. – not the U.S. government or Rosenberg’s bette noir, AIPAC –  ¬ accused the Iranian government last May of using Iran Air planes to facilitate the trade of missile components with North Korea.  The horrible regimes in Tehran and Pyongyang are cooperating in the development of dangerous weapons and these planes play a significant role in that development. 

Syria is a conduit for Iranian supply of Hezbollah, and Iran is a lifeline for the Syrian regime, providing it with arms and other support.  Regular Iran Air flights between Tehran and Damascus play a major role in this deadly traffic.  Hezbollah, of course, has more American blood on its hands than any terrorist organization other than al Qaeda and its activities against Israel do not need retelling here.   The Assad regime has turned these guns on its own people, who are trying to rid themselves and the world of the Assad regime.

Iran’s “civilian” airlines have even been used in successful missions to assassinate Iranian dissidents living abroad.  In one particularly infamous incident from the early 1990s, Iranian agents killed a dissident in Geneva, then escaped Swiss authorities on a waiting Iran Air 747.  Now, Rosenburg urges us to repair the 747s of Iran Air.

Iran Air and another Iranian “civilian” airline, Mahan Air, have been designated under existing US sanctions programs for supporting and assisting the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the radical, parallel armed forces and terrorist organization most recently in the news for the plot to kill the Saudi Ambassador and later, perhaps, bomb the embassies of Israel and Saudi Arabia in Washington. 

Last March, in response to an FAA safety bulletin, and presumably a license application by a U.S. manufacturer, the State Department notified Congress it intended to license the inspection and repair of 15 Iran Air and Mahan air aircraft originally built by U.S. companies and containing a potentially defective GE engine.  Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and I opposed this license.  So did the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which in November unanimously passed a bill including my provision to prohibit American companies from repairing Iranian aircraft.  So, apparently, did many officials of the Obama Administration, as no such licenses have yet been approved.  In fact, the Obama Administration has finally approved exactly zero aircraft licenses for Iran since taking office. The last time such licenses were approved, under George W. Bush, was in 2006.  

The provision I urge that Congress approve simply asks that we not make that mistake again – rarely made, as it turns out – until Iran changes its policy of seeking nuclear weapons and supporting terrorists. 

Congressman Brad Sherman has represented the San Fernando Valley since 1997.  He serves as the former Chairman and current top Democrat on the House Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation.