Disapproving of the waiver of sanctions on Iran submitted to Congress on September 11, 2023.

Bill: 118-hres-739
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Issa, Darrell E. [R-CA-48]
Introduced: 2023-09-28
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2023-09-28
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 739 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; 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 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

That the House of Representatives— (1) disapproves of the sanctions waiver issued on September 11, 2023; (2) condemns the delayed notification of sanctions relief; (3) disapproves of the Biden administration’s nonenforcement of mandatory statutory United States sanctions against Iran; (4) disapproves of the use of sanctions relief as a mechanism to make ransom payments; (5) demands that the President submit the agreement under which the administration is coordinating actions with Iran before engaging in further sanction relief; (6) expresses its outrage that Secretary Blinken transmitted a notification of an agreement with the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism on September 11, the anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack in United States history; (7) condemns hostage-taking by Iran; and (8) welcomes home United States citizen previously held hostage by Iran.