IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 739 

Disapproving of the waiver of sanctions on Iran submitted to Congress on 

September 11, 2023. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 

Mr. ISSA (for himself, Mr. JAMES, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. WALTZ, Mr. MORAN, 

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. DAVIDSON, Mr. NEWHOUSE, Mr. 

SELF, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. GROTHMAN, Mr. JACKSON of Texas, Mr. 

HUIZENGA, Mr. CLYDE, Mr. CLOUD, Mr. C. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida, 

Mrs. HARSHBARGER, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. FRY, Mr. EZELL, Mr. PALMER, 

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina, Mr. KILEY, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. BABIN, 

Mr. ROUZER, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, and Ms. STEFANIK) submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Disapproving of the waiver of sanctions on Iran submitted 

to Congress on September 11, 2023. 

Whereas, in 1984, the Department of State designated the 

Islamic Republic of Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism; 

Whereas, today, Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of 

terrorism, using its state resources to support terrorist 

groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas and to destabilize 

or coopt countries across the Middle East, including Iraq, 

Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen; 


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•HRES 739 IH 

Whereas, since the 1980s, Iran has sought to develop the 

necessary infrastructure and enrich uranium which would 

enable it to acquire a nuclear weapon in violation of 

United Nations Security Council resolutions and its commitments under the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; 

Whereas Iran has enriched large quantities of uranium to 60 

percent purity, a level of enrichment which is unnecessary 

for civilian use; 

Whereas President Biden entered office promising to revive 

the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran and 

has pursued a negotiating strategy of unreasonable concessions to Iran; 

Whereas it is widely reported over the summer of 2023, the 

Biden administration has been developing a framework 

with Iran for implementing a nuclear agreement including significant sanctions relief for Iran; 

Whereas the Biden administration has relaxed sanctions impacting Iranian funds being held in Iraq and South 

Korea, and facilitated their transfer to third parties for 

Iran to spend on humanitarian items; 

Whereas, due to the fungibility of money, the release of funds 

to Iranian control will allow Iran to strengthen its illicit 

nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its financing 

of terrorism; 

Whereas Bloomberg News reported on August 25, 2023, that 

‘‘U.S. officials privately acknowledge they’ve gradually relaxed some enforcement of sanctions on Iranian oil sales. 

Tehran has restored production to the highest level since 

the ban kicked in five years ago and is shipping its most 


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3 

•HRES 739 IH 

crude to China in a decade. Iranian officials are confident 

they’ll pump even more soon.’’; 

Whereas, on September 11, 2023, Secretary of State Antony 

Blinken notified Congress that the United States had 

waived sanctions ‘‘occurring on or after August 9, 2023’’ 

to allow $6,000,000,000 in Iranian assets being held in 

South Korea to be released to Iran; 

Whereas the nonenforcement of key mandatory statutory 

sanctions against Iran and the decision to make available 

to Iran billions of dollars in assets, represents significant 

concessions and a marked weakening of United States 

policy towards Iran; 

Whereas the delay in notification of the sanctions waiver 

frustrated the ability of Congress to exercise its constitutional oversight function in a timely manner; and 

Whereas pursuant to the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review 

Act, the President has an obligation to submit any nuclear agreement with Iran to Congress before engaging in 

sanctions relief and to ‘‘keep the appropriate congressional committees and leadership fully and currently informed of any initiative or negotiations with Iran relating 

to Iran’s nuclear program’’, none of which the President 

has done: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) disapproves of the sanctions waiver issued 

3 on September 11, 2023; 

4 (2) condemns the delayed notification of sanc5 tions relief; 


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•HRES 739 IH 

1 (3) disapproves of the Biden administration’s 

2 nonenforcement of mandatory statutory United 

3 States sanctions against Iran; 

4 (4) disapproves of the use of sanctions relief as 

5 a mechanism to make ransom payments; 

6 (5) demands that the President submit the 

7 agreement under which the administration is coordi8 nating actions with Iran before engaging in further 

9 sanction relief; 

10 (6) expresses its outrage that Secretary Blinken 

11 transmitted a notification of an agreement with the 

12 world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism on Sep13 tember 11, the anniversary of the deadliest terrorist 

14 attack in United States history; 

15 (7) condemns hostage-taking by Iran; and 

16 (8) welcomes home United States citizen pre17 viously held hostage by Iran. 

Æ 


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