Senate Blocks Measure Against Nuclear Deal

The U.S. Senate voted 58-42, short of 60 votes needed, on a measure to consider Iran nuclear deal, JCPOA; effectively blocking a vote of disapproval. The procedural vote was nonetheless a major victory for President Obama, sparing him from the need for a veto to safeguard the deal.

U.S. Senate Passes Iran Bill

A bill that would give Congress power to hold hearings and approve, disapprove or take no action on a final nuclear deal with Iran today sailed through the Senate. The vote was 98-1. The president will sign the bill if it passes the House as expected.

File photo: The United States Capitol Building; Washington DC (lendacademy.com)

Senate Democrats to Hold Off on New Iran Bill

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, co-sponsor of legislation that would tighten sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, said today he and other Democratic senators would not vote for the passage of the bill until a 24 March deadline for reaching a framework agreement between Iran and world powers. President Obama has said voting for the legislation at this time could upset talks now under way with Iran, and pledged he would veto it.

Menendez said he and his Democratic colleagues have sent a letter to the president telling him they will not support passage of the Kirk-Menendez bill on Senate floor “until after March 24 and only if there is no political framework agreement.” (HuffPost, 27 January)

File photo: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ); April 2014 (Drew Angerer/Getty Images/HuffPost)

White House Calls New Sanctions on Iran A Call for Military Action

The White House on Thursday challenged a group of senators seeking news sanctions on Iran to admit they are working to push the U.S. toward military action.

“If certain members of Congress want the United States to take military action, they should be up front with the American public and say so,” Bernadette Meehan, National Security Council spokeswoman, said in a statement.



“Otherwise, it’s not clear why any member of Congress would support a bill that possibly closes the door on diplomacy and makes it more likely that the United States will have to choose between military options or allowing Iran’s nuclear program to proceed.” (HuffingtonPost, 9 January)

The Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez is pushing legislation, backed by a majority of the Senate, that would tighten sanctions on Iran in apparent violation of the 24 November Geneva accord signed by Iran and P5+1.

File credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images/HuffPo  

Obama Would Veto Any New Iran Sanctions – White House

The White House said today President Barack Obama would veto any new legislation imposing additional sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

“We don't believe this proposal is necessary, as I think we have made clear, and we have been discussing with members of Congress for quite some time.  We don't believe it will be enacted; we certainly know it's not necessary.  If it were to pass, the president would veto it,” said Jay Carney, the White House spokesman. (AP/VOA, 19 December)

The veto threat came after 26 Democratic and Republican senators introduced legislation in the Senate, called the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2013, which expands sanctions on Iran's petroleum industry.

The proposed legislation will also compel the United States to provide military support to Israel if the Jewish state takes military action against Iranian nuclear facilities. This part of the proposal practically hands over American foreign and military policy on Iran to a foreign government.

The Senate legislation is not likely to come to a vote until some time in January.

File photo: President Barack Obama speaks at the White House about the nuclear deal between six world powers and Iran, November 23, 2013 (Susan Walsh/AP/VOA) 

Senate Democrats to Defy Obama on Iran - Report

The National Journal will report on its Thursday edition that in a bold act of defiance against the Obama administration, key Democrats will side with GOP on introducing bipartisan legislation to impose additional sanctions against Iran. President Obama has asked Congress to wait while the administration works toward a comprehensive nuclear deal in the framework of the interim Geneva agreement.

The proposed new sanctions would kick in after the six-month negotiating window to reach a comprehensive deal on Iran's nuclear program runs out, or if Iran fails to hold up its end of the bargain in the interim.

“I am working with a series of members, and I expect we'll have some type of an announcement tomorrow,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said Wednesday.

“The dynamics are what I've always said they would be, which is to give the president the space and time so that he can test the Iranians' seriousness of purpose in terms of whether they are willing to strike an agreement, but to be ready should they ultimately fail,” Menendez added. (National Journal, 19 December)

The administration argues that even the introduction of the bill threatened to undermine the international negotiations.

Photo credit: Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Senators insist Iran should be stripped of its NPT treaty rights

 

According to the Associated Press:

Leading U.S. senators say Iran must end all uranium enrichment, potentially putting them at odds with the Obama administration ahead of new nuclear talks.

In a letter to President Barack Obama, six Democrats and four Republicans support this week's negotiations in Geneva. They also seek tougher sanctions on Iran and a convincing threat of U.S. military force.

But the most contentious demand concerns enrichment. The legislators including Sen. Bob Menendez, the Foreign Relations chairman, and Sen. John McCain insist Iran shouldn't able to continue enriching uranium inside Iran.

Former Bush Administration national security officials Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett tell us a deal with the Iranians over their nuclear program is straightforward and can be achieved in a matter of weeks; all that's required is a recognition of Iran's nuclear rights as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (i.e. nuclear fuel cycle technology) and the removal of sanctions, and in return the Iranians will accept even more intrusive inspections on its nuclear program and infrastructure.

Window Closing on Iran and Possibility of Diplomacy – Hagel

President Obama's nominee for defense secretary says Iran needs to show that it is prepared to negotiate seriously, and should face “severe and growing consequences” if it continues to flout world demands. (AP, 30 January)

Hagel added that the “window is closing” on Iran and the possibility of diplomacy. He made the comments in a 112-page questionnaire for the Senate Armed Services Committee. The panel submitted the extensive questions to Hagel in advance of his confirmation hearing on Thursday.

Photo credit: Secretary of Defense-designate Chuck Hagel (AP)

Senate Tightens Iran Sanctions

The U.S. Senate by a vote of 94-0 approved new sanctions on Iran’s energy, port, shipping and shipbuilding sectors. The new package of sanctions was approved as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. It builds on existing U.S. sanctions and provides additional tools to impede the progress of Iran’s nuclear program.

The legislation also attempts to close a loophole that has allowed some purchasers of Iranian oil and natural gas to use gold and other precious metals to pay for petroleum products. 

U.S. Senate Approves Non-Containment Resolution on Iran

In a bipartisan show of unity on Iran, U.S. senators passed a resolution in the early hours of Saturday for the United States to pursue a non-containment policy if necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. (CNN, 22 September)

Senate Joint Resolution 41 states that time is running out on diplomacy, and it “rejects any United States policy that would rely on efforts to contain a nuclear weapons-capable Iran.”

The resolution received only one vote against, that of Republican Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky. “A vote for this resolution is a vote for the concept of preemptive war,” Paul said.

Photo credit: U.S. Capitol; Washington, D.C. (CNN)