Ayotte Backs Bipartisan Legislation To Stop Iran's Nuclear Threat

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) announced today that she is an original cosponsor of the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015 (S. 269), bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), that would impose additional sanctions on Iran after the June 30th negotiations deadline-if the negotiations fail to produce a deal. The legislation would also provide Congress 30 continuous session days to review any nuclear agreement before the President can waive, defer, or suspend sanctions.

The negotiations with Iran, which involve the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany, were extended in November 2014 to a deadline of June 30, 2015.

Senator Ayotte said, "Iran seeks to use negotiations to achieve sanctions relief while avoiding a permanent and verifiable end to its nuclear weapons program. We must make clear that Iran must choose between sanctions relief and its nuclear weapons program-and that Tehran cannot have both. This bill gives the administration the time and space to negotiate with Iran, but makes clear that the United States will only accept a verifiable and permanent end to Iran's nuclear weapons program."

Ayotte continued, "The legislation would not impose new sanctions during negotiations. If Iran wants to walk away from the negotiating table because of prospective sanctions, they are not negotiating in good faith. We should confirm that sooner rather than later."

Summary of the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015:

* Sanctions would be implemented only after the June 30th negotiations deadline, but only if the negotiations fail to produce a deal.

* The Kirk-Menendez legislation would increase the current congressional oversight of the negotiations and requires the Administration to formally submit any new nuclear agreement text or extension to Congress within five days.

* Congress would be allotted 30 days to review any nuclear agreement before the President can waive, defer, or suspend sanctions.

* Subject to a report and certification, the President could only waive sanctions if it is in the vital national security interest of the United States and/or a waiver would make a long-term comprehensive solution with Iran more likely.

* If there is no final agreement by July 6, 2015, Kirk-Menendez would re-impose sanctions that have been waived while the negotiations have been ongoing. After July 6, the bill would additionally impose new sanctions each month from August to December.

* New sanctions would close loopholes in existing petroleum sanctions, enhance sanctions on Iran's oil trade and financial transactions, and impose further sanctions on Iran's senior government officials, family members and other individuals for weapons of mass destruction proliferation, terrorism sponsorship and other illicit activities, and on Iran's shipbuilding, automotive, construction, engineering and mining sectors.

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