[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 8, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 195--OPPOSING THE LIFTING OF SANCTIONS IMPOSED WITH 
 RESPECT TO IRAN WITHOUT ADDRESSING IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM, BALLISTIC 
  MISSILE DEVELOPMENT, SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM, AND OTHER DESTABILIZING 
                               ACTIVITIES

  Mr. COTTON (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Braun, Mr. Hawley, 
Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Young, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Toomey, Mr. Wicker, Mr. 
Cramer, Mr. Sasse, and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 195

       Whereas the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an 
     agreement that was finalized by the administration of 
     President Obama and the respective governments of the United 
     Kingdom, Germany, France, the People's Republic of China, and 
     the Russian Federation (P5+1) in July 2015, provided Iran 
     permanent sanctions relief and access to more than 
     $100,000,000,000 in return for temporary restrictive measures 
     on Iran's nuclear program;
       Whereas, under the JCPOA, restrictions on the number and 
     types of centrifuges that Iran may manufacture, the number 
     and types of enrichment facilities that Iran may construct, 
     and the amount and level of enriched uranium and heavy water 
     that Iran may stockpile, will expire;
       Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 
     2231, unanimously adopted on July 20, 2015, contained an 8-
     year nonbinding restriction on Iranian nuclear-capable 
     ballistic missile activities and a 5-year ban on conventional 
     arms transfers to Iran;
       Whereas neither the JCPOA nor UNSCR 2231 adequately 
     addressed the threat emanating from Iran's ballistic missile 
     program or support for terrorism, and the sunset provisions 
     applied to prohibitions in UNSCR 2231 inadvertently 
     legitimized that program and support;
       Whereas, based on the shortcomings of the JCPOA and UNSCR 
     2231, bipartisan majorities in both the Senate and the House 
     of Representatives opposed the JCPOA and the sanctions relief 
     for Iran contained in the agreement;
       Whereas the sanctions relief contained in the JCPOA 
     provided resources necessary for Iran to continue developing 
     ballistic missiles and supporting terrorism;
       Whereas the administration of President Trump has 
     designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a 
     foreign terrorist organization under section 219(a) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189(a)) and a 
     Specially Designated Global Terrorist group under Executive 
     Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to blocking 
     property and prohibiting transactions with persons who 
     commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism);
       Whereas, on May 21, 2018, Secretary of State Pompeo 
     outlined steps that the Iranian government must take to 
     normalize relations with the United States, to include--
       (1) providing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 
     a full account of the prior military dimensions of its 
     nuclear program and permanently and verifiably abandoning 
     such work;
       (2) ceasing all enrichment and vowing never to pursue 
     plutonium reprocessing;
       (3) providing the IAEA with access to all sites throughout 
     the entire country;
       (4) ending its development and proliferation of ballistic 
     missiles;
       (5) releasing all United States citizens currently held 
     hostage, as well as citizens of United States partners and 
     allies;
       (6) ending support for terrorist groups, including 
     Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad;
       (7) respecting the sovereignty of Iraq by demobilizing 
     Iranian-controlled Shia militias in the country;
       (8) ending its military support for the Houthi militia in 
     Yemen;
       (9) withdrawing all forces under Iranian command in Syria;
       (10) ending support for the Taliban in Afghanistan and for 
     senior al Qaeda leaders around the region;
       (11) ending the IRGC's support for terrorists and militant 
     partners around the world; and
       (12) halting its threatening behavior against its 
     neighbors;
       Whereas President Trump announced the withdrawal of the 
     United States from the JCPOA on May 8, 2018, and, since then, 
     has gradually reimposed sanctions that were suspended by the 
     Obama administration under the JCPOA;
       Whereas the JCPOA defined the sanctions that the Obama 
     administration suspended under the JCPOA as ``nuclear-
     related'', but ``nuclear-related'' is not a term recognized 
     under existing statutory sanctions related to Iran;
       Whereas the Obama administration agreed to define the most 
     significant bilateral sanctions imposed by the United States 
     on Iran as ``nuclear-related'', waive the application of 
     those sanctions under the JCPOA, and commit the executive 
     branch to attempt to work with Congress and State and local 
     governments in the United States to repeal the provisions of 
     law providing for those sanctions upon the expiration of the 
     JCPOA;
       Whereas, pursuant to the terms of the JCPOA, sanctions were 
     lifted on Iranian financial institutions, cargo vessels, 
     aircraft, and charities, which were not linked to Iran's 
     nuclear program but were sanctioned for illicit conduct;
       Whereas, pursuant to section 401(a) of the Comprehensive 
     Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 
     (22 U.S.C. 8551(a)), in order to terminate sanctions against 
     the Central Bank of Iran and other financial institutions of 
     Iran, the President is required to certify that ``the 
     Government of Iran has ceased providing support for acts of 
     international terrorism and no longer satisfies the 
     requirements for designation as a state sponsor of 
     terrorism'', and that ``Iran has ceased the pursuit, 
     acquisition, and development of, and verifiably dismantled 
     its, nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and ballistic 
     missiles and ballistic missile launch technology'';
       Whereas, pursuant to section 8 of the Iran Sanctions Act of 
     1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note), in order to 
     terminate sanctions imposed with respect to the energy sector 
     of Iran, the President is required to certify ``that Iran--
       ``(1) has ceased its efforts to design, develop, 
     manufacture, or acquire--
          ``(A) a nuclear explosive device or related materials 
     and technology;
          ``(B) chemical and biological weapons; and
          ``(C) ballistic missiles and ballistic missile launch 
     technology;
       ``(2) has been removed from the list of countries the 
     governments of which have been determined . . . to have 
     repeatedly provided support for acts of international 
     terrorism; and
       ``(3) poses no significant threat to United States national 
     security, interests, or allies.''; and
       Whereas the concept of ``nuclear-related'' sanctions does 
     not exist in statute and existing statutes likely require a 
     treaty to terminate such sanctions: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) reaffirms that it is the policy of the United States 
     not to allow Iran to develop or otherwise acquire a nuclear 
     weapons capability;
       (2) resolves that the lifting or termination of sanctions 
     with respect to Iran must take place only as provided for 
     under section 401(a) of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, 
     Accountability, and Divestment Act (22 U.S.C. 8551(a)) and 
     section 8 of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-
     172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note); and
       (3) rejects the reapplication of sanctions relief provided 
     for in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

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