Iran China Accountability Act
Bill: S.4290 | Sponsor: Sen. Blackburn, Marsha (R-TN)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Iran China Accountability Act
This bill prohibits the use of funds to enter into any negotiation with Iran regarding an Iran nuclear agreement until the President makes specified certifications concerning the actions of China and Iran.
Specifically, the President must certify that China has ceased incarcerating Uyghur individuals in the Xinjiang region. Additionally, the President must certify that, among other actions, Iran has terminated all agreements involving the receipt of funds from China and all ties and transfer of cash to Iranian proxy forces, including Hamas.
Further, any Iran nuclear agreement that the United States enters into must certify the destruction of any and all Iranian nuclear and missile capabilities, weapons, infrastructure, chemical weapons, and offensive cyber activity. Such agreement shall be deemed a treaty requiring advice and consent of the Senate.

To impose certain requirements relating to the renegotiation or reentry 
into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or other agreement relating 
           to Iran's nuclear program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Iran China Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action provided 
        Iran with more than $100,000,000,000 in sanctions relief, 
        circumventing mandatory sanctions imposed pursuant to Acts of 
        Congress.
            (2) In 2016, the United States delivered $400,000,000 in 
        cash to Iran.
            (3) On May 8, 2018, the United States withdrew from the 
        disastrous Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and implemented a 
        campaign of maximum economic pressure on Iran until the 
        regime--
                    (A) ends its nuclear program, its pursuit of 
                ballistic missiles, and its support of terrorism and 
                regional destabilization; and
                    (B) releases all United States hostages.
            (4) Iran and the People's Republic of China signed a 25-
        year strategic economic cooperation agreement on March 27, 
        2021. The relationship between the 2 countries is a strategic 
        partnership that aims to advance the People's Republic of 
        China's influence in the Middle East.
            (5) The strategic economic cooperation agreement involves a 
        transfer of $400,000,000,000 from the Chinese Communist Party 
        to the Government of Iran.
            (6) The Chinese Communist Party is committing an ongoing 
        genocide against Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur 
        Autonomous Region and suppressing religious freedom throughout 
        the People's Republic of China.
            (7) The Chinese Communist Party is also suppressing 
        religious freedom by arbitrarily imprisoning Christians, 
        raiding house churches, and attempting to shut down houses of 
        worship not endorsed by the Government of the People's Republic 
        of China.
            (8) The Government of Iran is perpetrating violence against 
        its own people, including through the killing of protesters and 
        the persecution of women and religious minorities. It is also 
        involved in severe violations of human rights throughout the 
        Middle East, including supporting the brutal regime of Bashar 
        al-Assad in Syria.
            (9) Since 2021, the People's Republic of China has 
        increased illicit oil purchases from Iran. Such oil purchases 
        would be permitted if the United States lifts sanctions with 
        respect to Iran and re-enters the failed Iran nuclear deal. The 
        People's Republic of China remains Iran's largest oil customer.
            (10) A portion of the oil that the People's Republic of 
        China buys from Iran (and from other suppliers) might be 
        transshipped to North Korea.
            (11) The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action required that 
        the United Nations arms embargo on Iran expire in October 2020, 
        which would have permitted the People's Republic of China to 
        sell arms to Iran, and permits Iran to sell arms to China.
            (12) The United States Government unequivocally condemns 
        the Hamas-incited terrorist attacks originating from Israeli 
        land currently occupied by Hamas.
            (13) The United States Government recognizes Israel's right 
        to defend itself from Hamas-incited terrorist attacks.
            (14) President Joseph R. Biden has sought to rejoin the 
        Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or a similar agreement, 
        including undertaking talks with Iran and the other parties to 
        the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in Vienna, Austria. 
        Those talks are ongoing as of May 2022.
            (15) Officials in the administration of President Biden 
        have acknowledged that rejoining a nuclear agreement with Iran 
        would entail an easing of the economic sanctions stipulated by 
        the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO ANY IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT.

    (a) Limitations Prior to Entering Into Negotiations.--No Federal 
funds may be obligated or expended to enter into any negotiation with 
the Government of Iran with respect to an Iran nuclear agreement until 
the President certifies to Congress that--
            (1) the Government of Iran has terminated--
                    (A) all agreements involving the transfer of funds 
                to such Government from the People's Republic of China; 
                and
                    (B) all agreements involving a strategic military 
                or security partnership with the People's Republic of 
                China;
            (2) the Government of the People's Republic of China has 
        ceased to incarcerate Uyghur individuals in concentration camps 
        in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region;
            (3) the Government of Iran has terminated all ties and 
        transfer of cash to Iranian proxy forces, including Hamas; and
            (4) the Government of Iran has verified the destruction of 
        any and all chemical weapons, materials, and infrastructure.
    (b) Requirement for Contents of Agreement.--No Federal funds may be 
obligated or expended for United States entry into any Iran nuclear 
agreement, and the President may not take any action (including in the 
form of an agenda, agreement, platform, or plan) to carry out the goals 
of such an agreement, unless such agreement certifies the destruction 
of any and all Iranian nuclear and missile capabilities, weapons, 
infrastructure, chemical weapons, and offensive cyber activity.
    (c) Ratification Required.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, any Iran nuclear agreement shall be deemed a treaty subject to the 
requirement that the Senate provide its advice and consent pursuant to 
article II, section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution of the United 
States. The President may not take any action (including in the form of 
an agenda, agreement, platform, or plan) to carry out the goals of such 
an agreement until the Senate has adopted a resolution of advice and 
consent with respect to that agreement.
    (d) Report Required.--The Secretary of State shall submit to 
Congress, prior to the submission of a proposed Iran nuclear agreement 
to the Senate for its advice and consent in accordance with subsection 
(c), a report setting forth the manner and extent to which the 
negotiation and terms of such proposed Iran nuclear agreement comply 
with each limitation and requirement under this section.
    (e) Iran Nuclear Agreement Defined.--In this section, the term 
``Iran nuclear agreement'' means--
            (1) the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at 
        Vienna July 14, 2015, by Iran and by the People's Republic of 
        China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United 
        Kingdom and the United States, with the High Representative of 
        the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and 
        all implementing materials and agreements related to the Joint 
        Comprehensive Plan of Action; and
            (2) any successor or other agreement exchanging relief from 
        international sanctions for restrictions on Iran's nuclear 
        program.
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