House Democrats put politics ahead of national security in Iran Vote

February 3, 2016

Yesterday, House Democrats voted against the Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act. This bill would restrict President Obama’s ability to lift sanctions on Iran and other financial institutions by allowing the sanctions to be lifted only if the President certifies that the institutions have not knowingly helped fund Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, foreign terrorist organizations, or anyone sanctioned in connection with Iran’s weapons of mass destruction.

This bill is a common sense measure to ensure that terrorist organizations do not receive a financial windfall from President Obama’s Iran deal, which Secretary John Kerry has already admitted would help fund terrorism.
Iran has already proven its disregard for its deal with President Obama, as well as the United Nations.
- In December, a United Nations Security Council sanctions committee determined that Iran violated Security Council resolution 1929 by test-launching a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
- Last month, Iran took 10 U.S. sailors captive in the Persian Gulf, recording video of them held at gunpoint on their knees, and being made to apologize for the camera.
President Obama has threatened to veto the Terror Finance Transparency Act, despite Secretary John Kerry’s admission that the deal will help fund terrorism.

NRCC COMMENT: “The fact that House Democrats voted against this bill despite Secretary John Kerry’s admission that President Obama’s Iran deal will fund terrorism makes clear where their priorities lie. The American people deserve better than Representatives who place politics ahead of national security, and House Democrats will have to answer to voters in November.” – Bob Salera, NRCC Spokesman

Background:

Kerry: Some Iran sanctions relief likely to go to terrorists. “It’s likely that some of the billions of dollars in sanctions relief granted to Iran under a landmark nuclear deal will go to groups deemed to be terrorists, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday…‘I think that some of it will end up in the hands of the IRGC or other entities, some of which are labeled terrorists,’ he told CNBC television in an interview.” (Matthew Lee, “Kerry: Some Iran sanctions relief likely to go to terrorists,” Associated Press, 1/21/16)

Experts: Iran Missile Launch Violated UN Resolution. “Iran violated a UN resolution in October when it test-launched a medium-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, a UN panel of experts has concluded in a report that could lead to sanctions. Britain, France, Germany and the United States had asked a UN Security Council sanctions committee to investigate the launch of the Emad missile on Oct. 10, three months after the historic nuclear deal was reached.” (Agence France-Presse, “Experts: Iran Missile Launch Violated UN Resolution,” Defense News, 12/15/15)

White House threatens veto over GOP Iran Bill. “President Obama has threatened to veto a House Republican bill aimed at limiting his ability to lift sanctions on Iran under the nuclear deal struck last year…The bill comes as billions of dollars worth of sanctions are set to be lifted in the coming weeks. Under the deal, the U.S. and other world powers involved in negotiating it will remove sanctions against Iran after Tehran fulfills certain steps in rolling back its nuclear program. The House GOP bill would prevent the president from removing certain Iranian individuals and entities from receiving sanctions unless the administration can certify that they are not terror financiers, human rights abusers or involved in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.” (Susan Crabtree, “White House threatens veto over GOP Iran Bill,” Washington Examiner, 1/12/16)