The Republican co-author of legislation that would impose tougher sanctions on Iran said Thursday it’s time for a vote on his bill because he doesn’t see much agreement in the “historic understanding” announced last week.
“As each new day reveals a new disagreement, it’s increasingly clear that Iran, in fact, failed to reach agreement with the United States and its partners on a political framework that addresses all parameters of a comprehensive agreement,” Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois said. “At best, Iran agreed to disagree with the United States on key nuclear weapons-related issues and to continue talks.”
Kirk is co-author along with Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of Illinois of legislation that would impose new, tougher sanctions on Iran if international negotiations fail to reach agreement on limiting that country’s nuclear program by a self-imposed July 1 deadline.
The bill was approved by the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee in January, but has since been put on hold while Senate leaders focus on moving companion legislation that would require President Obama to submit any nuclear deal with Iran to Congress for approval.
After negotiators announced April 2 that they had reached a framework for a final deal, Kirk told Bloomberg he would be willing to hold his bill until after June 30 to see if agreement could be reached. But on Thursday, he said he would push for a Senate vote on the legislation, citing significant differences in how Iranian and U.S. leaders viewed key provisions.
The bill has 52 co-sponsors, including Menendez and seven other Democrats.
In a statement, Kirk noted that 12 Democrats had pledged in a letter to Obama that they would vote for the bill if Iran failed to reach agreement on a framework by the original deadline of March 24.
