Ayotte: Renewing the Iran Sanctions Act is a Positive But Insufficient Step
Press Release
Following the Senate's passage today of the Iran Sanctions Extension Act, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte issued the following statement:
"Following the deeply flawed Iran nuclear agreement, Iran has only increased its hostility toward the United States, our allies, and our interests. I am pleased the Senate passed the Iran Sanctions Extension Act today, but Congress should also take up and pass my Iran Ballistic Missile Sanctions Act without delay," said Senator Ayotte. "A failure to do so will send a deeply irresponsible and dangerous signal to Tehran that the only consequences for its ballistic missile activities will be harshly-worded condemnations followed by American inaction."
The Iran Sanctions Extension Act extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 through 2026. It was set to expire on December 31, 2016. The House of Representatives passed counterpart legislation in November by a vote of 419-1.
Since 2011, Ayotte has led efforts in the Senate to counter Iran's ballistic missile program, which represents a major threat to our forward deployed troops, regional allies like Israel, and potentially our homeland. In July 2015, Ayotte raised Iran's ballistic missile program with Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey. Last December, Ayotte wrote a letter to President Barack Obama, signed by 35 of her colleagues, noting Iran's recent ballistic missile tests and calling on the administration not to lift sanctions on Iran. In March 2016, in response to repeated Iranian ballistic missile tests, Ayotte introduced the Iran Ballistic Missile Sanctions Act of 2016 (S.2725) along with Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and others. This legislation would impose tough primary and secondary sanctions on every sector of the Iranian economy that directly or indirectly supports Iran's ballistic missile program. In addition, S.2725 would extend the Iran Sanctions Act to 2031.
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