Sen. Cruz and Rep. Franks Introduce Sanction Iran, Safeguard America Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Trent Franks, R-AZ-8, today reintroduced the Sanction Iran, Safeguard America Act to impose sanctions against Iran and help safeguard America in the face of the Obama Administration’s disastrous proposed nuclear deal with Iran.

“As the self-perpetuating negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program drag on, it is time for a moment of clarity,” said Sen. Cruz. “It is time to tell the American people the truth. These talks are not going to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, from getting a nuclear weapon. The Obama Administration is circumventing the will of the American people, who do not support this deal. This is precisely why the President is proposing that it be made through the United Nations Security Council instead of the United States Congress where Americans have direct representation, as our Constitution demands. Similarly, the President has also suggested he will go through the UN Security Council, circumventing the nation of Israel to impose terms favorable to the Palestinians that Prime Minister Netanyahu, and those who recently re-elected him, do not support.

“By recklessly unraveling the program of international economic sanctions and the coalition that imposed them without ensuring Iran has no path to the bomb, President Obama will only make it more likely that his successor will be forced to use military force because there will be far fewer options at the new President’s disposal. But as Prime Minister Netanyahu said in his powerful speech to Congress on Iran on March 3, the options are not yet the President’s bad deal or war.  There is another way. That is why I am reintroducing the Sanction Iran, Safeguard America Act.”

“The Obama Administration is arrogantly continuing down the path of negotiations with Iran, despite all of the continuously mounting evidence that Tehran is not negotiating in good faith,” said Rep. Franks. “The agreement currently put forth places Iran on a predictable path to nuclear weapons capability.

“The Sanction Iran, Safeguard America Act addresses the long-term threat of a nuclear Iran by removing sanctions waivers and ratcheting up pressure on their regime to dismantle their uranium enrichment and plutonium production capabilities. It also pressures Iran to acknowledge their history of state sponsorship of terrorism and to cease its support for terror in the future. If Tehran is genuine about rejoining the family of nations as a respectable member, then it must demonstrate that with action. Until then, the United States cannot naïvely pursue a policy with the Iranian regime that is all carrot and no stick.”

Specifically, the Sanction Iran, Safeguard America Act:

• Re-imposes all previous sanctions that the Obama Administration relaxed.
• Expands sanctions related to the petrochemical and automotive sector.
• Prohibits funding for negotiations and implementation of any nuclear agreement with Iran unless congressional approval is reached.
• Gives Iran a clear path towards their removal: dismantling their nuclear program in its entirety; removing all centrifuges, relinquishing enriched uranium, and ceasing all research and development of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) program.
• Requires Iran to renounce its state-sponsorship of terrorism.

In addition, the 2015 legislation makes it clear that any deal that goes through the UN Security Council and is not ratified as a treaty by the Senate or passed into law by Congress has no binding authority on subsequent presidents or congresses.

Rep. Franks will file the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives next week.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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