House Democrats Oppose Efforts to Hold Iran Accountable for Weapons Programs

This week, House Republicans passed three bills to strengthen sanctions against Iran over the objections of House Democrats. The bills, today’s Iran Accountability Act and United States Financial System Protection Act, and yesterday’s No 2H20 from Iran Act, are designed to keep funds out of the hands of terrorists, and to stop Iran’s ballistic-missile program and its ongoing human rights abuses against its own population.

• House Democrats voted against the Iran Accountability Act (H.R. 5631), which expands and strengthens existing sanctions against Iran related to its ballistic-missile program, support of international terrorism, and its ongoing record of human rights abuses against its own population.
  • Secretary John Kerry admitted that sanctions relief under the Obama administration’s dangerous Iran nuclear deal would likely fund terrorist groups.
  • After negotiating the nuclear deal, Iran continued ballistic missile testing, including test firing a missile bearing the phrase, “Israel should be wiped off the earth,” written in Hebrew.
• House Democrats voted against the United States Financial System Protection Act (H.R. 4992), which would codify existing regulations prohibiting the Obama administration from allowing the U.S. dollar to be used to facilitate trade with Iran, and upholds Iran’s designation as a “primary money-laundering concern.”
  • This bill would prevent both direct dollar transactions and work-arounds including dollar-clearing, dollar-based conversions, and dollar-related foreign currency transactions.
• House Democrats also opposed the No 2H2O from Iran Act (H.R. 5119), which would prohibit federal funds from being used to purchase heavy water, a key component in the production of nuclear weapons, from Iran, or to issue licenses to purchase heavy water.
  • This bill is designed to prevent Iran from profiting off of its nuclear program, and to keep taxpayer dollars from the hands of the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.

NRCC Comment: “House Democrats once again proved that they are more concerned with giving President Obama a political win than with protecting our national security. House Democrats’ opposition to this legislation, designed to combat Iran’s ballistic missile program and to keep taxpayer dollars from funding terrorism, is shameful and detrimental to the best interests of the United States and Israel.” – NRCC Spokesman Bob Salera

Background:

Kerry: Some Iran sanctions relief likely to go to terrorists. “U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday it is likely that some of the billions of dollars in sanctions relief granted to Iran under a landmark nuclear deal will go to groups deemed terrorists…‘I think that some of it will end up in the hands of the IRGC or other entities, some of which are labeled terrorists,’ he told CNBC television in an interview.” (Associated Press, 1/21/16)

Iran vows to keep firing ballistic missiles. “On Wednesday, the Revolutionary Guards fired two ballistic missiles, including one with graffiti saying “Israel should be wiped off the earth” written in Hebrew on it…The State Department said it does not consider the missile tests a violation of the landmark nuclear agreement reached last year, which lifted international sanctions against Iran in exchange for scaling back its nuclear program. The agreement does not explicitly address missiles. There had been a ban on missile testing, but it was lifted by the U.N. Security Council after the deal was finalized. In its place came a new resolution that ‘calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology.’” (Carol Morello, The Washington Post, 3/10/16)

H.R. 5631 – Iran Accountability Act

Roll Call 467 – H.R. 5631

H.R. 5119 – No 2H2O from Iran Act

Roll Call 441 – H.R. 5119

CQ House Action Reports. “The bill prohibits federal funds from being used to purchase heavy water from Iran, or to issue licenses to purchase heavy water.” (Robert Tomkin, CQ, 7/8/16)

Senate blocks measure to forbid buys of Iran ‘heavy water.’ ““Heavy water is not radioactive but has research and medical applications and can also be used to produce weapons-grade plutonium. Under the nuclear deal, Iran is allowed to use heavy water in its modified Arak nuclear reactor, but must sell any excess supply of both heavy water and enriched uranium on the international market.” (Associated Press, 5/11/16)

H.R. 4992 – United States Financial System Protection Act

Roll Call 478 – H.R. 4992

CQ House Action Reports. “This bill codifies existing regulations that prohibit the administration from allowing the U.S. dollar to be used to facilitate trade transactions with Iran and upholds Iran’s designation as a ‘primary money laundering concern.’ The prohibition covers direct dollar transactions and ‘work-arounds’ including dollar-clearing, dollar-based conversions and dollar-related foreign currency transactions.” (Robert Tomkin, CQ, 7/8/16)