[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 8, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2729-S2730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                  Iran

  Mr. COTTON. Madam President, 5 years ago, I, along with 46 of my 
fellow Senators, released a letter to Iran's Ayatollah letting him know 
that any nuclear deal he reached with President Obama wouldn't be worth 
the paper it was printed on unless it was ratified as a treaty by two-
thirds of the U.S. Senate. We wrote: ``The next president could revoke 
such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future 
Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.''
  A lot of people were upset by this letter, but I don't really know 
why. All it did was state a straightforward lesson on American civics--
something any ninth grader who has read our Constitution should know. 
Yet the Ayatollah agreed to a deal with President Obama that was not, 
in fact, approved by two-thirds of the Senate. In fact, it was almost 
rejected by three-fifths of the Senate. Just as we cautioned, not 3 
years later, a new President did, in fact, revoke that deal with the 
stroke of a pen.
  Today is the 1-year anniversary of America's withdrawal from the Iran 
nuclear deal, and a lot has happened since then.
  Just this morning, Iran threatened to renew its rush to the bomb, 
stockpiling more uranium and producing more heavy water--even 
threatening to enrich nuclear fuels to dangerous levels in the months 
ahead if the civilized world does not cave to its demands.
  We know better than to cave in to the ayatollahs. The United States 
will remain steadfast in our maximum pressure campaign against Iran 
until that regime abandons its nuclear and missile program and its 
support for terrorism. I welcome the news that the President is 
announcing new sanctions on Iran's mining industry as well.
  As for our European allies and partners and members of the business 
community abroad, I hope Iran's threats will serve as a needed wake-up 
call. Any attempt to invest in Iran's market under any circumstances 
other than Iran's complete and verifiable cessation of its full range 
of malign activities will be fraught with huge legal and financial 
risks--huge risks. Businesses shouldn't put themselves in that 
compromising position, and European partners shouldn't give in to 
Iran's high-stakes nuclear blackmail.
  Of course, today's announcement is just the latest dangerous 
provocation by the Iranian regime. In the past year, Iran and its well-
armed proxies have continued their killing spree across the Middle 
East--the same spree they were on before and during the Iran nuclear 
deal. This time, the United States has stood up to Iran rather than 
rewarding its evil deeds.
  We designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps for what it is--a 
foreign terrorist organization--for plotting attacks around the world 
and arming groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, 
the very same groups that slaughtered innocent civilians in Israel just 
last weekend with no regard for the lives they purportedly represent in 
Gaza.
  We reimposed sanctions on Iran that were waived by President Obama. 
We have also recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, 
affirming a close ally's right to defend itself against Iranian-backed 
aggression. These are good things. Iran is a weaker adversary today 
than it was a year ago when it was flush with bribe money from its 
nuclear deal with the Obama administration.
  Not everyone sees it that way. At least six Democratic Presidential 
candidates have talked about reentering this outdated obsolete nuclear 
deal with Iran. They would give the ayatollahs and his armies sanctions 
relief yet again at a time when Iran's economy is on the mat, not just 
in recession but in borderline depression. If we were to give them 
sanctions relief, we know what they would do with that money. We have 
seen this movie before. They would use it to build ballistic missiles, 
to kill and maim innocent civilians, and to fuel chaos in Iraq, Syria, 
Yemen, and further abroad.
  A return to the Iran deal would be a disastrous decision, but more 
importantly, such a decision would be every bit as reversible as the 
first. When are these people going to learn? Everybody ought to keep in 
mind this simple fact, whether you are a politician making promises or 
on the campaign trail or a business leader considering major 
investments in Iran.
  To make it abundantly clear, on the 1-year anniversary of our 
withdrawal from that horrific, terrible nuclear deal, I have a gift for 
them all. It is the first anniversary. So it is a paper gift. I have 
introduced a resolution with my colleagues that reaffirms the policy of 
the United States to never, never allow Iran to acquire nuclear 
weapons. Furthermore, the resolution reaffirms that sanctions can only 
come off of Iran once it meets the basic conditions approved by 
Congress under existing law. Among other things, that law requires that 
Iran must stop supporting terrorism and dismantle its ballistic missile 
program before sanctions can be waived. They can't simply be waived by 
a President using his so-called pen and phone.
  I hope this resolution clears up any confusion about where the United 
States stands with respect to Iran and for anyone considering investing 
in the Iranian market. America will continue to apply maximum pressure 
against the ayatollahs' regime so long as they continue their campaign 
of terror and violence against the United States and our allies 
throughout the Middle East, and we will continue to assist those allies 
as they fight against Iranian-backed aggression.
  To the Ayatollah and all of the rulers of Iran: Happy anniversary.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Montana.

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