[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 148 (Wednesday, October 14, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IRAN SANCTIONS ENABLING ACT OF 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 13, 2009

  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, as the lead Republican sponsor of H.R. 1327, 
the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act, I rise in strong support and urge my 
colleagues to pass this bill.
  We know that certain international corporations still invest billions 
of dollars in Iran's energy sector--in effect, subsidizing the regime's 
nuclear program. If states and local municipalities want to divest 
public funds from investments in such companies, the Federal government 
should support their decisions.
  The Iran Sanctions Enabling Act would authorize state and local 
governments to divest from firms with investments of $20 million or 
more in Iran's energy industry. Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, 
Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Indiana, New Jersey, Colorado, 
New York, Ohio, Texas, and Washington have all enacted some form of 
divestment laws. The Iran Sanctions Enabling Act would encourage more 
states and local communities to take similar action.
  With Iranian uranium enrichment accelerating--and the recent 
disclosure of a secret uranium enrichment site at Qom--the window for 
effective diplomacy is starting to close. To avoid conflict, we must 
pass effective sanctions and provide our diplomats with greater 
leverage. H.R. 1327 is a good first step--but it cannot be the last. I 
urge Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Berman to move H.R. 2194, the Iran 
Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, to the floor for immediate 
consideration. This legislation, modeled after my Iran Sanctions 
Enhancement Act of 2007 and Iran Diplomatic Enhancement Act of 2009, 
would extend current sanctions to companies that supply gasoline to 
Iran. Iran's dependence on foreign gasoline remains its greatest 
weakness--and offers the greatest hope for diplomacy to succeed.
  In addition, the President must take steps to fully implement current 
law. The Iran Sanctions Act was enacted in 1996 as an important measure 
to deny Iran the resources to further its nuclear program and to 
support terrorist organizations. According to the law, a firm that 
invests more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector is determined to 
be a violator, and is subject to a range of sanctions. The 
Congressional Research Service has identified more than 20 firms that 
likely violate the Iran Sanctions Act. Nevertheless, no Administration 
has ever enforced this law. I urge my colleagues to sign the Kirk-Klein 
letter to President Obama urging him to enforce the Iran Sanctions Act 
without delay.

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