WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and colleagues introduced the Iran China Accountability Act to call attention to Iran’s ties with Communist China by prohibiting the obligation or expenditure of any taxpayer dollars to advance a nuclear agreement with Iran until the regime terminates their ties with Communist China and terrorist groups like Hamas.
“The administration should not be able to ram through another terrible Iran Nuclear Deal without Senate approval,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Iran needs to be accountable for their bad behavior not rewarded with a nuclear weapon.”
“The Obama-Biden Iran Deal has always been a failure. The Biden administration should not re-enter a deal that legitimizes the Iranian regime — especially while they continue to fund terrorism, endorse Communist China’s dangerous government, and facilitate genocide. This legislation will stop taxpayer dollars from enabling the Biden White House to back this corrupt regime,” said Senator Blackburn.
Cassidy and Blackburn were joined by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Ted Cruz (R-TX).
U.S. Representative Bob Good (R-VA-05) introduced the companion bill to this legislation in the House of Representatives.
Background:
In March 2021, Iran and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) signed a 25-year, $400 billion strategic economic agreement to advance Chinese influence in the Middle East. Despite an international sanctions regime, the PRC is Iran’s largest oil customer.
Obama’s 2015 Iran Deal required that the United Nations arms embargo on Iran expire in October 2020, which would have permitted the PRC to sell arms to Iran and vice versa. The Biden administration is engaged in negotiations to re-establish a similar agreement.
The Iran China Accountability Act:
- Requires any nuclear agreement to be ratified by a 2/3s vote of the U.S. Senate.
- Prohibits obligation or expenditure of any funds for a nuclear agreement until:
- Iran terminates all agreements involving the transfer of funds from China and terminates strategic security and military partnerships with China;
- Iran terminates all ties and transfers of cash to Iranian proxy forces, including Hamas;
- Iran verifies the destruction of all nuclear, missile, cyber and chemical weapons, materials, and infrastructure; and
- The CCP ceases the incarceration of Uyghurs.
- Requires a report from the Secretary of State to Congress detailing how any future agreement with Iran meets each requirement listed above.
- Condemns Hamas-incited terrorist attacks on Israel.
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