IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 454 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives relating to the exercise 

of presidential waiver authority of certain sanctions imposed against 

Iran under United States law. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 1, 2015 

Mr. RUSSELL (for himself, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mrs. 

BLACK, Mr. HURD of Texas, Mr. ROUZER, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. YOHO, Mr. 

GRAVES of Louisiana, Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, Mr. HARDY, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. DESJARLAIS, and Mr. LOUDERMILK) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives relating to the exercise of presidential waiver authority of 

certain sanctions imposed against Iran under United 

States law. 

Whereas the United States, through Acts of Congress, has 

imposed economic sanctions against Iran, in an effort to 

change the Government of Iran’s support for acts of 

international terrorism, violation of human rights, weapons and missile development and acquisition, export of 

arms and terror promoting regional instability, and development of a nuclear program; 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 454 IH 

Whereas Congress has passed several pieces of legislation relating to sanctions against Iran, as well as other legislation under which sanctions against Iran have been applied, including the International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1985, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, the International 

Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Iran Sanctions Act 

of 1996, the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, the 

Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012, the 

Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 

2012, section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, and the National Emergencies Act; 

Whereas Congress granted presidential waiver authority of 

certain sanctions in these laws; 

Whereas Congress provided such presidential waiver authority 

for extraordinary circumstances conditional solely upon 

improvement of and elimination of behaviors specifically 

cited in these laws; 

Whereas the intent of Congress was not to provide any President with the means to waive sanctions against Iran writ 

large; 

Whereas Congress clearly provided such presidential waiver 

authority to change the actions of the Government of 

Iran and to curb Iranian acts of terror, Iranian acts of 

human rights violations, Iranian arms exports in proxy 

wars of instability, and development of Iranian nuclear 

capacity; 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 454 IH 

Whereas Congress clearly did not authorize any President in 

the course of implemented and active sanctions in the 

current or any subsequent administration to use such 

presidential waiver authority, or a multifaceted combination of waivers, to enter into a treaty relating to Iran’s 

nuclear program; 

Whereas article I, section 8, of the Constitution clearly states 

that the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations 

rests with Congress; and 

Whereas article II, section 2, of the Constitution clearly 

states that the President only has the power, by and with 

the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, 

provided two thirds of the Senators present concur: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) reaffirms that granting of presidential waiv3 er authority for certain sanctions against Iran by 

4 Congress was to be used when specific behavioral 

5 improvements have been met by Iran; 

6 (2) reaffirms its strong commitment to pre7 venting the possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran as 

8 the premise for such sanctions and presidential waiv9 er authority; 

10 (3) reaffirms its intent not to provide presi11 dential waiver authority for such sanctions for pur12 poses of conducting negotiations with Iran that do 

13 not result in the prevention of a nuclear-armed Iran; 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 454 IH 

1 (4) reaffirms that the President does not have 

2 the authority as granted by Congress to change cur3 rent law by exercising presidential waiver authority 

4 for certain sanctions on a general basis for purposes 

5 of entering into a treaty relating to Iran’s nuclear 

6 program; and 

7 (5) reaffirms that exercising presidential waiver 

8 authority to grant relief from certain sanctions 

9 against Iran in an effort to change the Government 

10 of Iran’s support for acts of international terrorism, 

11 violation of human rights, weapons and missile de12 velopment and acquisition, export of arms and terror 

13 promoting regional instability, and development of a 

14 nuclear program shall not be recognized by Con15 gress. 

Æ 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS