Israel Matzav

Congress backs down from fight over Iran sanctions

With midterm elections nearly a year away, Congress has apparently concluded that the voters have a short memory. Congress (particularly the Senate) is backing down on passing new sanctions against Iran, at least until after the first of the year

As Kerry readied to give testimony on Tuesday to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the administration's controversial interim nuclear deal with Iran, core senators said there is little chance Congress would approve new sanctions this year.

“I'm inclined to support [Secretary of State] John Kerry” and hold off for now, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) told The Hill. “We'll see. Not this year.” 

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), an Iran hawk and member of the Armed Services panel, said he was working on a new bipartisan bill but acknowledged it might not be ready until next year, though.

“I'm looking for a sanctions bill to pass either next week or the early part of next year,” he said. 

The administration has warned that new sanctions could undermine the deal with Iran, which has been criticized for allowing that country to continue to enrich uranium.  

It has urged Congress to hold off on mandating new sanctions, and it appears it will get its way.
More hawkish senators had all but given up on passing legislation through Johnson's committee and were instead hoping to do it as an amendment to the pending Defense bill.

Leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees poured water on that plan on Monday when they unveiled a joint, bipartisan bill with no sanctions attached and called for a quick vote before the House leaves town on Friday.

Their bill was an initial signal this week that the chances of new sanctions were slim.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Iran sanctions regime, Iranian nuclear threat, John Kerry, Lindsey Graham, United States Congress, United States Senate, US House of Representatives

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:04 AM