Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) 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.
Senator Blackburn was joined by Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Congressman Bob Good (R-Va.) introduced the companion bill to this legislation in the House of Representatives.
“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
Senator Rick Scott said, “We know that Iran and Communist China are two of our greatest adversaries and cannot be trusted. Iran chants ‘death to America’ and wants to destroy our great ally, Israel. Communist China will stop at nothing in its quest for world domination. These dangerous regimes, clearly emboldened by President Biden’s appeasement and desperate desire to re-enter the failed Iran nuclear deal, are working to gain a critical foothold in the Middle East. This is a direct and serious threat to our national security and the security of our allies, like Israel. We cannot allow it. Our bill, the Iran China Accountability Act, will prevent the Biden administration from re-entering any future nuclear agreement with Iran until it can ensure the national security interests of the U.S. and our allies are protected.”
“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.”
“A renewed nuclear deal with Iran would not only benefit the regime in Tehran, it would similarly reward and enrich the Chinese Communist Party,” Senator Rubio said. “We cannot allow the Biden Administration to continue making concessions to dictators in return for empty promises. It is dangerous and anti-American.”
“We need to learn from the failures of the Iran nuclear deal. Any future agreements between the United States and Iran must ensure Tehran has ceased its support of terrorist groups and its financial reliance on the totalitarian Chinese Communist Party,” said Senator Tillis. “The United States must continue to be a leader in defending human rights and preventing rogue regimes, like Iran, from developing nuclear weapons capability.”
“Iran’s latest 25-year partnership with the United States’ greatest geopolitical adversary, Communist China, has only reaffirmed that Iran cannot be trusted—especially with nuclear weapons. We must prevent the Biden Administration from evading Congressional oversight to renegotiate or reenter the dangerous Iran nuclear deal,” said Senator Braun.
“I want to thank Senator Blackburn (R-TN) for introducing the Senate version of the Iran China Accountability Act. Sadly, President Biden continues to demonstrate incompetence when interacting with foreign heads of state, doing irreparable damage to our foreign policy. As the Biden Administration walks back another presidential gaffe this week, there is no doubt that it is up to Congress to hold the Communist Chinese Party accountable for their aggression on the world stage,” said Congressman Good.
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.
- 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 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.