III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 40 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding efforts by the United States 

and others to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 26, 2015 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, 

Mr. TESTER, Mr. CARPER, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. DURBIN, 

Mr. MERKLEY, and Mr. KING) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding efforts by 

the United States and others to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. 

Whereas any acquisition by the Government of the Islamic 

Republic of Iran of a nuclear weapon would pose a grave 

threat to international peace and stability and the national security of the United States and United States allies, including Israel; 

Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is 

a leading state sponsor of terrorism, continues to materially support the regime of Bashar al-Assad, and is responsible for continuing and gross violations of the 

human rights of the people of Iran; 


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•SRES 40 IS 

Whereas, since 2006, the United Nations Security Council 

has adopted multiple resolutions demanding an end to 

the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s illicit 

nuclear activities and Iran’s full cooperation with the 

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding 

its nuclear program and international commitments; 

Whereas the United States Government has led the international community in imposing costly economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which have 

contributed to the decision of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to return to the negotiating table 

and provided leverage to press Iran’s leaders to agree to 

end Iran’s illicit nuclear activities; 

Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran entered the present negotiation with the five permanent 

Member States of the United Nations Security Council, 

plus Germany (the ‘‘P5+1’’), having previously violated 

its commitments under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, done at Washington, London, 

and Moscow July 1, 1968, and not complied with multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions; 

Whereas the Joint Plan of Action, also known as the interim 

agreement, was entered into by the P5+1 and Iran on 

November 24, 2013, in order to facilitate good faith negotiations toward a final comprehensive agreement that 

prevents Iran from developing a nuclear weapon; 

Whereas, under the Joint Plan of Action, the Government of 

the Islamic Republic of Iran has ceased enrichment of 

near-20 percent uranium gas, eliminated its stockpile of 

near-20 percent uranium gas, halted significant construction activities at the Arak nuclear reactor, halted the installation of additional centrifuges and not operated its 


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most advanced centrifuges to accumulate enriched uranium, agreed to more intrusive international inspections 

of its enrichment sites and provided managed access to 

its centrifuge assembly workshops, centrifuge rotor production workshops and storage facilities, and uranium 

mines and mills; 

Whereas the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded 

in a January 20, 2015, report that Iran has not enriched 

uranium above 5 percent at any of its declared facilities, 

has not made ‘‘any further advances’’ to its activities at 

the Natanz and Fordow fuel enrichment plants or the 

Arak reactor, and has continued to provide managed access to uranium mines and mills, daily access to the enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow, and managed 

access to centrifuge assembly workshops, rotor production workshops, and storage facilities; 

Whereas the P5+1 and Iran have extended the terms of the 

Joint Plan of Action and have set a target date for 

reaching a political framework agreement by the end of 

March 2015 and a deadline of July 1, 2015, to reach a 

final comprehensive agreement, including relevant technical annexes; 

Whereas, in a public speech on January 12, 2015, United 

States Permanent Representative to the United Nations 

Samantha Power stated that, ‘‘increasing sanctions would 

dramatically undermine our efforts to reach this shared 

goal . . . of getting Iran to give up its nuclear program’’; 

Whereas, during a press conference on January 16, 2015, 

Prime Minister David Cameron stated that, ‘‘it’s the 

opinion of the United Kingdom that further sanctions 

[against Iran] or further threat of sanctions at this point 

won’t actually help to bring the talks to a successful conVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:57 Jan 26, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR40.IS SR40

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clusion and they could fracture the international unity 

that there’s been, which has been so valuable in presenting a united front to Iran’’; 

Whereas, during a press conference on January 16, 2015, 

President Barack Obama stated, ‘‘On Iran, we remain 

absolutely committed to ensuring that Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon. The best way to achieve that 

now is to create the space for negotiations to succeed. We 

should not impose further sanctions now; that would be 

counterproductive and it could put at risk the valuable 

international unity that has been so crucial to our approach.’’; 

Whereas any final comprehensive agreement with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran must prevent Iran 

from developing a nuclear weapon in any manner; 

Whereas any final comprehensive agreement with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran must allow for the 

prompt reimposition of sanctions if the Government of 

the Islamic Republic of Iran fails to comply with the final 

comprehensive agreement; and 

Whereas Congress retains the sole authority to repeal statutory sanctions against the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the 

2 Senate— 

3 (1) reaffirms that it is the policy of the United 

4 States that the Government of the Islamic Republic 

5 of Iran will not be allowed to develop a nuclear 

6 weapon and that all instruments of United States 


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1 power and influence must remain on the table to 

2 prevent this outcome; 

3 (2) supports the ongoing diplomatic efforts of 

4 the United States Government and the members of 

5 the P5+1 countries to reach a comprehensive agree6 ment with Iran that prevents Iran from acquiring a 

7 nuclear weapon; 

8 (3) affirms that support for the prompt reim9 position of suspended sanctions as well as the impo10 sition of additional sanctions against Iran would be 

11 strong and widespread in the Senate in the event— 

12 (A) negotiations fail to achieve a com13 prehensive agreement; 

14 (B) Iran violates the Joint Plan of Action; 

15 or 

16 (C) Iran violates any final comprehensive 

17 agreement on its nuclear program; 

18 (4) agrees that future new sanctions against 

19 Iran may include measures further targeting Iran’s 

20 energy, financial, and strategic economic sectors, 

21 and its foreign currency transactions, as well as the 

22 designation of additional Government of the Islamic 

23 Republic of Iran officials linked to its illicit nuclear 

24 program and sanctions evasion; and 


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1 (5) supports the universal rights and demo2 cratic aspirations of the people of Iran. 

Æ 


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