Leads amendment to place constitutional check on Iran deal

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) along with Senators James Risch (R-Idaho), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), offered an amendment Tuesday 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. 

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 said: “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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