Congress should as soon as possible consider a bill that slaps sanctions on Iran over its illicit non-nuclear activities, Democratic lawmakers who supported the 2015 Iran nuclear deal told THE WEEKLY STANDARD.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker said during a hearing last week that the bill had hit some delays, citing “concerns about how the European Union might react and [Iranian] elections that are coming up.” A Corker aide specified to TWS on Thursday that the bill was being held up by a Democratic objection.
Maryland senator Ben Cardin, the committee’s top Democrat, denied that the measure had been delayed over concerns about Iran’s May presidential election. He said he was working to get more support for the bill and had “been meeting with a lot of different groups.” Asked whether he knew of any Democratic objections, Cardin said, “You have to ask the Democrats. … I don’t know.”
Multiple Democratic co-sponsors of the measure advocated for advancing the legislation—and fast.
“I understand some members have concerns about Iran’s domestic politics and I think we have to be mindful of the potential impact, but bluntly, I’d like to see us move forward,” said Delaware senator Chris Coons, who sits on the foreign relations panel.
Many of his Democratic colleagues said they also preferred a prompt markup.
“I hope we will move forward as quickly as possible,” said Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal, who supported the nuclear deal. “Especially after what we saw in recent days with the Syrian atrocity and war crimes that are, in effect, aided and abetted by the Iranians.”
In addition to propping up the Assad regime in Syria, which carried out another chemical attack on its people last Tuesday, Tehran has continued to conduct ballistic missile tests at home. Although the Obama administration generally resisted additional sanctions on Iran for fear of endangering the nuclear deal, Coons, Blumenthal, and other Democrats spoke plainly about the need for more penalties on the Islamic Republic.
“We need to have the tools available to make sure that we hold the Iranians to proper ways of conduct. I support the legislation and I would rather move it sooner rather than later,” said Michigan senator Gary Peters.
“It’d be preferable if we can get it done as soon as possible,” said Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey.
The bill sanctions entities involved with Iran’s ballistic missile program, and penalizes entities involved in arms sales to or from the country under an existing arms embargo. It also authorizes sanctions on human rights abusers and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) pursuant to an executive order related to terrorism.
On the foreign relations panel, Cardin, Coons, and New Jersey Democrats Bob Menendez and Cory Booker are co-sponsors of the legislation. Virginia senator Tim Kaine, Connecticut senator Chris Murphy, New Hampshire senator Jeanne Shaheen, New Mexico senator Tom Udall, Massachusetts senator Ed Markey, and Oregon senator Jeff Merkley have yet to sign on.
It took lawmakers months to pull together an agreeable bipartisan sanctions package that hits Iran for its illicit activities but balances concerns about interference with the nuclear deal, which lifted some sanctions on Iran in exchange for nuclear restrictions. Backers of the bill have stressed that it does not impact the deal.
The effects of the nuclear deal make movement on the Senate legislation all the more necessary, an Iran expert told TWS.
“It is essential that Iran’s ballistic missiles, human rights abuses, illicit finances threats, and ongoing terrorism and regional destabilization are checked as the [nuclear deal] continues to be implemented. That’s because the accord provides Iran with sanctions relief and a prop with which to further its ongoing international legitimization campaign,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior Iran analyst at Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened reprisal over extended or expanded sanctions against the country, describing such moves as a violation of the deal.
Democrats like Blumenthal, however, do not appear deterred.”Strong, prompt movement on sanctions is very important,” he told TWS.
