Kirk, Menendez Introduce New Sanctions Bill

On January 27, Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015, legislation that would automatically impose sanctions on Iran if talks with the world’s six major powers fail to yield a deal by June 30. President Barack Obama, however, has repeatedly threatened to veto such a bill, arguing that new sanctions legislation could derail talks. If all 54 Senate Republicans vote for the bill, Kirk and Menendez would still need the support of at least 13 Democrats to override a veto.

On the same day, Menendez and nine other Democrats sent a letter to Obama saying they would delay support for sanctions legislation until March 24 if Republicans brought the bill to the floor for a vote. The world’s six major powers and Iran are due to reach a political agreement by the end of March, so the move gives the administration more time for negotiating while postposing a clash between the Senate and the president.
 
The following are excerpts from the press release on the bill.
 
Summary of the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015: 
 
  • Sanctions will be implemented only after the June 30th negotiations deadline, but only if the negotiations fail to produce a deal.
  • The Kirk-Menendez legislation increases the current congressional oversight of the negotiations and requires the Administration to formally submit any new nuclear agreement text or extension to Congress within five days.
  • Congress is allotted 30 days to review any nuclear agreement before the President can waive, defer or suspend sanctions.
  • Subject to a report and certification, the President can only waive sanctions if it is in the vital national security interest of the United States and/or a waiver would make a long-term comprehensive solution with Iran more likely. 
  • If there is no final agreement by July 6, 2015, Kirk-Menendez would re-impose sanctions that have been waived while the negotiations have been ongoing, which would begin in August and run through December. 
  • New sanctions would close loopholes in existing petroleum sanctions, enhance sanctions on Iran’s oil trade and financial transactions, and impose further sanctions on Iran’s senior government officials, family members and other individuals for weapons of mass destruction proliferation, terrorism sponsorship and other illicit activities, and on Iran’s shipbuilding, automotive, construction, engineering and mining sectors. 
 
You can see a copy of the legislative text here.
 
A total of 16 Senators will co-sponsor the Kirk-Menendez legislation, including: Senators Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). Additional co-sponsors will be added this week.
 
Click here for the full press release.