I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4173 
To direct the President of the United States to appoint a high-level United 
States representative or special envoy for Iran for the purpose of ensur-
ing that the United States pursues all diplomatic avenues to prevent 
Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, to avoid a war with Iran, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 8, 2012 
Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mr. JONES, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. WOOLSEY, 
Mr. KUCINICH, Ms. WATERS, Mr. STARK, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. FILNER, 
and Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the President of the United States to appoint 
a high-level United States representative or special envoy 
for Iran for the purpose of ensuring that the United 
States pursues all diplomatic avenues to prevent Iran 
from acquiring a nuclear weapon, to avoid a war with 
Iran, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prevent Iran from Ac-
quiring Nuclear Weapons and Stop War Through Diplo-
macy Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech 
on December 10, 2009, President Obama said, ‘‘I 
know that engagement with repressive regimes lacks 
the satisfying purity of indignation. But I also know 
that sanctions without outreach—and condemnation 
without discussion—can carry forward a crippling 
status quo. No repressive regime can move down a 
new path unless it has the choice of an open door.’’ 
(2) In his address to the American Israel Public 
Affairs Committee on March 4, 2012, President 
Obama said, ‘‘I have said that when it comes to pre-
venting Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, I will 
take no options off the table, and I mean what I say. 
That includes all elements of American power. A po-
litical effort aimed at isolating Iran; a diplomatic ef-
fort to sustain our coalition and ensure that the Ira-
nian program is monitored; an economic effort to 
impose crippling sanctions; and, yes, a military ef-
fort to be prepared for any contingency.’’ 
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(3) While the Obama Administration has re-
jected failed policies of the past by engaging in nego-
tiations with Iran without preconditions, only four of 
such meetings have occurred. 
(4) Official representatives of the United States 
and official representatives of Iran have held only 
two direct, bilateral meetings in over 30 years, both 
of which occurred in October 2009, one on the side-
lines of the United Nations Security Council negotia-
tions in Geneva, and one on the sidelines of negotia-
tions brokered by the United Nations International 
Atomic Energy Agency (referred to in this Act as 
the ‘‘IAEA’’) in Vienna. 
(5) All of the outstanding issues between the 
United States and Iran cannot be resolved instanta-
neously. Resolving such issues will require a robust, 
sustained effort. 
(6) Under the Department of State’s current 
‘‘no contact’’ policy, officers and employees of the 
Department of State are not permitted to make any 
direct contact with official representatives of the 
Government of Iran without express prior authoriza-
tion from the Secretary of State. 
(7) On September 20, 2011, then-Chairman of 
the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, 
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called for establishing direct communications with 
Iran, stating, ‘‘I’m talking about any channel that’s 
open. We’ve not had a direct link of communication 
with Iran since 1979. And I think that has planted 
many seeds for miscalculation. When you miscalcu-
late, you can escalate and misunderstand.’’ 
(8) On November 8, 2011, the IAEA issued a 
report about Iran’s nuclear program and expressed 
concerns about Iran’s past and ongoing nuclear ac-
tivities. 
(9) On December 2, 2011, Secretary of Defense 
Leon Panetta warned that an attack on Iran would 
result in ‘‘an escalation that would take place that 
would not only involve many lives, but I think it 
could consume the Middle East in a confrontation 
and a conflict that we would regret.’’ 
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It should be the policy of the United States— 
(1) to prevent Iran from pursuing or acquiring 
a nuclear weapon and to resolve the concerns of the 
United States and of the international community 
about Iran’s nuclear program and Iran’s human 
rights obligations under international and Iranian 
law; 
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(2) to ensure inspection of cargo to or from 
Iran, as well as the seizure and disposal of prohib-
ited items, as authorized by United Nations Security 
Council Resolution 1929 (June 9, 2010); 
(3) to pursue sustained, direct, bilateral nego-
tiations with the Government of Iran without pre-
conditions in order to reduce tensions, prevent war, 
prevent nuclear proliferation, support human rights, 
and seek resolutions to issues that concern the 
United States and the international community; 
(4) to utilize all diplomatic tools, including di-
rect talks, targeted sanctions, Track II diplomacy, 
creating a special envoy described in section 4, and 
enlisting the support of all interested parties, for the 
purpose of establishing an agreement with Iran to 
put in place a program that includes international 
safeguards, guarantees, and robust transparency 
measures that provide for full IAEA oversight of 
Iran’s nuclear program, including rigorous, ongoing 
inspections, in order to verify that Iran’s nuclear 
program is exclusively for peaceful purposes and 
that Iran is not engaged in nuclear weapons work; 
(5) to pursue opportunities to build mutual 
trust and to foster sustained negotiations in good 
faith with Iran, including pursuing a fuel swap deal 
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to remove quantities of low enriched uranium from 
Iran and to refuel the Tehran Research Reactor, 
similar to the structure of the deal that the IAEA, 
the United States, China, Russia, France, the 
United Kingdom, and Germany first proposed in Oc-
tober 2009; 
(6) to explore areas of mutual benefit to both 
Iran and the United States, such as regional secu-
rity, the long-term stabilization of Iraq and Afghani-
stan, the establishment of a framework for peaceful 
nuclear energy production, other peaceful energy 
modernization programs, and counter-narcotics ef-
forts; and 
(7) that no funds appropriated or otherwise 
made available to any executive agency of the Gov-
ernment of the United States may be used to carry 
out any military operation or activity against Iran 
unless the President determines that a military oper-
ation or activity is warranted and seeks express 
prior authorization by Congress, as required under 
article I, section 8, clause 2 of the United States 
Constitution, which grants Congress the sole author-
ity to declare war, except that this requirement shall 
not apply to a military operation or activity— 
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(A) to directly repel an offensive military 
action launched from within the territory of 
Iran against the United States or any ally with 
whom the United States has a mutual defense 
assistance agreement; 
(B) in hot pursuit of forces that engage in 
an offensive military action outside the territory 
of Iran against United States forces or an ally 
with whom the United States has a mutual de-
fense assistance agreement and then enter into 
the territory of Iran; or 
(C) to directly thwart an imminent offen-
sive military action to be launched from within 
the territory of Iran against United States 
forces or an ally with whom the United States 
has a mutual defense assistance agreement. 
SEC. 4. APPOINTMENT OF HIGH-LEVEL U.S. REPRESENTA-
TIVE OR SPECIAL ENVOY. 
(a) APPOINTMENT.—At the earliest possible date, the 
President, in consultation with the Secretary of State, 
shall appoint a high-level United States representative or 
special envoy for Iran. 
(b) CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT.—The President 
shall appoint an individual under subsection (a) on the 
basis of the individual’s knowledge and understanding of 
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the issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program, experience 
in conducting international negotiations, and ability to 
conduct negotiations under subsection (c) with the respect 
and trust of the parties involved in the negotiations. 
(c) DUTIES.—The high-level United States represent-
ative or special envoy for Iran shall— 
(1) seek to facilitate direct, unconditional, bilat-
eral negotiations with Iran for the purpose of easing 
tensions and normalizing relations between the 
United States and Iran; 
(2) lead the diplomatic efforts of the Govern-
ment of the United States with regard to Iran; 
(3) consult with other countries and inter-
national organizations, including countries in the re-
gion, where appropriate and when necessary to 
achieve the purpose set forth in paragraph (1); 
(4) act as liaison with United States and inter-
national intelligence agencies where appropriate and 
when necessary to achieve the purpose set for in 
paragraph (1); and 
(5) ensure that the bilateral negotiations under 
paragraph (1) complement the ongoing international 
negotiations with Iran. 
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SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 
(a) ELIMINATION OF ‘‘NO CONTACT’’ POLICY.—Not 
later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of State shall rescind the ‘‘no contact’’ pol-
icy that prevents officers and employees of the Depart-
ment of State from making any direct contact with official 
representatives of the Government of Iran without express 
prior authorization from the Secretary of State. 
(b) OFFICE OF HIGH-LEVEL U.S. REPRESENTATIVE 
OR SPECIAL ENVOY.—Not later than 30 days after the 
appointment of a high-level United States representative 
or special envoy under section 4(a), the Secretary of State 
shall establish an office in the Department of State for 
the purpose of supporting the work of the representative 
or special envoy. 
SEC. 6. REPORTING TO CONGRESS. 
(a) REPORTS.—Not later than 60 days after the 
high-level United States representative or special envoy for 
Iran is appointed under section 4, and every 180 days 
thereafter, the United States representative or special 
envoy shall report to the committees set forth in sub-
section (b) on the steps that have been taken to facilitate 
direct, bilateral diplomacy with the government of Iran 
under section 4(c). Each such report may, when necessary 
or appropriate, be submitted in classified and unclassified 
form. 
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