[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 2 (Monday, January 6, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S30]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 328--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE ON STEPS THE 
  GOVERNMENT OF IRAN MUST TAKE BEFORE FURTHER BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS 
 BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OCCUR

  Mr. CRUZ (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 328

       Whereas, on September 27, 2013, the President of Iran, 
     Hassan Rouhani, and President Barack Obama engaged in the 
     first direct contact between Iranian and United States 
     leaders since 1979;
       Whereas the Government of Iran has yet to take any 
     practical steps towards halting Iran's nuclear programs and 
     remains a committed state-sponsor of terrorist groups that 
     have been responsible for American deaths in Lebanon, Saudi 
     Arabia, Iraq, and Afghanistan;
       Whereas, since the election of President Rouhani, the 
     persecution by the Government of Iran of religious 
     minorities, notably Christians, has increased not decreased;
       Whereas United States citizens remain imprisoned in Iran, 
     including Pastor Saeed Abedini, Amir Hekmati, and Robert 
     Levinson;
       Whereas President Rouhani has called Israel the ``Zionist 
     state'' that has been ``a wound that has sat on the body of 
     the Muslim world for years and needs to be removed'', and 
     Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has called Israel a 
     ``rabid dog'' facing ``annihilation'';
       Whereas a Joint Plan of Action was released from Geneva on 
     November 24, 2013, outlining first step, voluntary measures 
     to be taken over a six month duration providing the 
     Government of Iran with some $7,000,000,000 in relief from 
     economic sanctions, while extracting no substantive 
     concessions from Iran on their nuclear program; and
       Whereas the representatives of the United States engaging 
     in these negotiations failed to raise the issue of the United 
     States citizens imprisoned in Iran and to rebuke their 
     Iranian counterparts for their vicious rhetoric against 
     Israel at the highest levels: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That is it the sense of the Senate that, before 
     further bilateral negotiations between the Government of Iran 
     and the United States Government occur, the Government of 
     Iran must--
       (1) immediately and without conditions release all United 
     States citizens unjustly detained in Iran; and
       (2) publicly affirm the right of Israel to exist as a 
     Jewish state.

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