[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 60 (Thursday, April 23, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2414-S2415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1152. Mr. CRUZ (for himself and Mr. Toomey) submitted an amendment
intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1191, to amend the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to ensure that emergency services
volunteers are not taken into account as employees under the shared
responsibility requirements contained in the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
Beginning on page 6, strike line 6 and all that follows
through page 27, line 21, and insert the following:
``(b) Review by Congress of Nuclear Agreements With Iran.--
``(1) In general.--After the President transmits an
agreement pursuant to subsection (a), the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign
Affairs of the House of Representatives shall, as
appropriate, hold hearings and briefings and otherwise obtain
information in order to fully review such agreement.
``(2) Limitation on actions.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, except as provided in paragraph (3) and
subsection (c), the President may not waive, suspend, reduce,
provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of
statutory sanctions with respect to Iran under any provision
of law or refrain from applying any such sanctions pursuant
to an agreement described in subsection (a).
``(3) Exception.--The prohibition under paragraph (2) does
not apply to any deferral, waiver, or other suspension of
statutory sanctions pursuant to the Joint Plan of Action if
that deferral, waiver, or other suspension is made--
``(A) consistent with the law in effect on the date of the
enactment of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015;
and
``(B) not later than 45 days before the transmission by the
President of an agreement, assessment report, and
certification under subsection (a).
``(c) Effect of Congressional Action With Respect to
Nuclear Agreements With Iran.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, action involving any measure of statutory
sanctions relief by the United States pursuant to an
agreement subject to subsection (a) or the Joint Plan of
Action may be taken, consistent with existing statutory
requirements for such action, only if the Congress adopts,
and there is enacted, a joint resolution stating in substance
that the Congress does favor the agreement.
[[Page S2415]]
``(d) Congressional Oversight of Iranian Compliance With
Nuclear Agreements.--
``(1) In general.--The President shall keep the appropriate
congressional committees and leadership fully and currently
informed of all aspects of Iranian compliance with respect to
an agreement subject to subsection (a).
``(2) Potentially significant breaches and compliance
incidents.--The President shall, within 10 calendar days of
receiving credible and accurate information relating to a
potentially significant breach or compliance incident by Iran
with respect to an agreement subject to subsection (a),
submit such information to the appropriate congressional
committees and leadership.
``(3) Material breach report.--Not later than 30 calendar
days after submitting information about a potentially
significant breach or compliance incident pursuant to
paragraph (2), the President shall make a determination
whether such potentially significant breach or compliance
issue constitutes a material breach and, if there is such a
material breach, whether Iran has cured such material breach,
and shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees
and leadership such determination, accompanied by, as
appropriate, a report on the action or failure to act by Iran
that led to the material breach, actions necessary for Iran
to cure the breach, and the status of Iran's efforts to cure
the breach.
``(4) Semi-annual report.--Not later than 180 calendar days
after entering into an agreement described in subsection (a),
and not less frequently than once every 180 calendar days
thereafter, the President shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees and leadership a report on Iran's
nuclear program and the compliance of Iran with the agreement
during the period covered by the report, including the
following elements:
``(A) Any action or failure to act by Iran that breached
the agreement or is in noncompliance with the terms of the
agreement.
``(B) Any delay by Iran of more than one week in providing
inspectors access to facilities, people, and documents in
Iran as required by the agreement.
``(C) Any progress made by Iran to resolve concerns by the
International Atomic Energy Agency about possible military
dimensions of Iran's nuclear program.
``(D) Any procurement by Iran of materials in violation of
the agreement or which could otherwise significantly advance
Iran's ability to obtain a nuclear weapon.
``(E) Any centrifuge research and development conducted by
Iran that--
``(i) is not in compliance with the agreement; or
``(ii) may substantially enhance the breakout time of
acquisition of a nuclear weapon by Iran, if deployed.
``(F) Any diversion by Iran of uranium, carbon-fiber, or
other materials for use in Iran's nuclear program in
violation of the agreement.
``(G) Any covert nuclear activities undertaken by Iran,
including any covert nuclear weapons-related or covert
fissile material activities or research and development.
``(H) An assessment of whether any Iranian financial
institutions are engaged in money laundering or terrorist
finance activities, including names of specific financial
institutions if applicable.
``(I) Iran's advances in its ballistic missile program,
including developments related to its long-range and inter-
continental ballistic missile programs.
``(J) An assessment of--
``(i) whether Iran directly supported, financed, planned,
or carried out an act of terrorism against the United States
or a United States person anywhere in the world;
``(ii) whether, and the extent to which, Iran supported
acts of terrorism, including acts of terrorism against the
United States or a United States person anywhere in the
world;
``(iii) all actions, including in international fora, being
taken by the United States to stop, counter, and condemn acts
by Iran to directly or indirectly carry out acts of terrorism
against the United States and United States persons;
``(iv) the impact on the national security of the United
States and the safety of United States citizens as a result
of any Iranian actions reported under this paragraph; and
``(v) all of the sanctions relief provided to Iran,
pursuant to the agreement, and a description of the
relationship between each sanction waived, suspended, or
deferred and Iran's nuclear weapon's program.
``(K) An assessment of whether violations of
internationally recognized human rights in Iran have changed,
increased, or decreased, as compared to the prior 180-day
period.
``(5) Additional reports and information.--
``(A) Agency reports.--Following submission of an agreement
pursuant to subsection (a) to the appropriate congressional
committees and leadership, the Department of State, the
Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense shall,
upon the request of any of those committees or leadership,
promptly furnish to those committees or leadership their
views as to whether the safeguards and other controls
contained in the agreement with respect to Iran's nuclear
program provide an adequate framework to ensure that Iran's
activities permitted thereunder will not be inimical to or
constitute an unreasonable risk to the common defense and
security.
``(B) Provision of information on nuclear initiatives with
iran.--The President shall keep the appropriate congressional
committees and leadership fully and currently informed of any
initiative or negotiations with Iran relating to Iran's
nuclear program, including any new or amended agreement.
``(6) Compliance certification.--After the President
transmits an agreement pursuant to subsection (a), the
President shall, not less than every 90 calendar days--
``(A) determine whether the President is able to certify
that--
``(i) Iran is transparently, verifiably, and fully
implementing the agreement, including all related technical
or additional agreements;
``(ii) Iran has not committed a material breach with
respect to the agreement or, if Iran has committed a material
breach, Iran has cured the material breach;
``(iii) Iran has not taken any action, including covert
action, that could significantly advance its nuclear weapons
program; and
``(iv) suspension of sanctions related to Iran pursuant to
the agreement is--
``(I) appropriate and proportionate to the specific and
verifiable measures taken by Iran with respect to terminating
its illicit nuclear program; and
``(II) vital to the national security interests of the
United States; and
``(B) if the President determines he is able to make the
certification described in subparagraph (A), make such
certification to the appropriate congressional committees and
leadership.
``(7) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress
that--
``(A) United States sanctions on Iran for terrorism, human
rights abuses, and ballistic missiles will remain in place
under an agreement, as defined in subsection (h)(1);
``(B) issues not addressed by an agreement on the nuclear
program of Iran, including fair and appropriate compensation
for Americans who were terrorized and subjected to torture
while held in captivity for 444 days after the seizure of the
United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran, in 1979 and their
families, the freedom of Americans held in Iran, the human
rights abuses of the Government of Iran against its own
people, and the continued support of terrorism worldwide by
the Government of Iran, are matters critical to ensure
justice and the national security of the United States, and
should be expeditiously addressed;
``(C) the President should determine the agreement in no
way compromises the commitment of the United States to
Israel's security, nor its support for Israel's right to
exist; and
``(D) in order to responsibly implement any long-term
agreement reached between the P5+1 countries and Iran, it is
critically important that Congress have the opportunity to
review any agreement and, as necessary, take action to modify
the statutory sanctions regime imposed by Congress.
``(e) Expedited Consideration of Legislation.--
``(1) In general.--In the event the President does not
submit a certification pursuant to subsection (d)(6) or has
determined pursuant to subsection (d)(3) that Iran has
materially breached an agreement subject to subsection (a)
and the material breach has not been cured, Congress may
initiate within 60 calendar days expedited consideration of
qualifying legislation pursuant to this subsection.
``(2) Qualifying legislation defined.--For purposes of this
subsection, the term ``qualifying legislation'' means only a
bill of either House of Congress--
``(A) the title of which is as follows: ``A bill
reinstating statutory sanctions imposed with respect to
Iran.''; and
``(B) the matter after the enacting clause of which is:
``Any statutory sanctions imposed with respect to Iran
pursuant to ______