Sens. Cruz, Johnson, Colleagues: Any Agreement with Iran Involves Risks That Affect Our Entire Nation

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Risch (R-Idaho), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) this week offered an amendment to give the American people a proper constitutional check by requiring that the president submit to Congress any renewed nuclear deal with Iran as a treaty. This amendment would strengthen the role Congress plays by ensuring the advice and consent of the Senate is taken into account for a new nuclear agreement, as well as prevent waiving, suspending, reducing or limiting the application of sanctions before the Senate has concurred.

Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said

"The Obama administration never submitted the catastrophic Obama-Biden Iran nuclear deal to the Senate, because they knew it faced majority bipartisan opposition. Unsurprisingly, the Biden administration has signaled that it will not submit the deal it is negotiating now to the Senate either. I urge my colleagues to remedy the harm done to the balance of powers and join me and Sen. Johnson in urging President Biden to submit the JCPOA to Congress."

Sen. Johnson said:

"President Reagan was right when he said you achieve peace through strength. Unfortunately, our adversaries understand the Biden administration will chart the same weak and disastrous course as President Obama. It's clear the Biden administration is in the business of appeasing adversaries like Russia, state sponsors of terrorism like Iran, and Iran's terrorist proxies like Hamas. Instead of addressing the threats these actors pose, the administration will coddle the Iranian regime and ignore its malign activity throughout the region. Any potential agreement with Iran involves risks that affect our entire nation. It is critical to the security of America and to world peace that any deal Biden negotiates with Iran be deemed a treaty requiring approval by the U.S. Senate."

Sen. Risch said:

"If the Biden Administration wants a deal with Iran that will survive successive administrations, it must engage in extensive, formal consultations with Congress. There is strong bipartisan consensus in the Senate that any agreement must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and address all facets of Iran's illicit behavior, and this amendment will ensure these requirements are met."

Sen. Rubio added:

"I'm proud to join Senator Johnson in filing this amendment, which would ensure that any nuclear deal with Iran be submitted to the Senate. As the Biden Administration seeks to provide the brutal regime in Tehran with sanctions relief, we must ensure we defend our interests as well as those of our regional allies."

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