The U.S. House voted to make it easier to impose sanctions on Iran on Tuesday, passing a measure co-introduced by two congressional representatives from Florida.
The House easily passed the Iran Sanctions Extension Act on Tuesday which, as U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch’s, D-Fla., office noted “extends existing sanctions law to guarantee that the United States can easily re-impose nuclear-related sanctions if Iran is found to have violated the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action” for a ten year period. U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the sole vote against the proposal.
U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., brought out the bill with U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, the ranking Democrat on the committee, and key subcommittee leaders including U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the U.S. House North Africa and Middle East Subcommittee, and Deutch, the ranking Democrat on that subcommittee.
Deutch broke with President Barack Obama over the administration’s nuclear deal with Iran and he continued his criticism of that Middle Eastern nation on Tuesday.
“The Iran Sanctions Act has served as the backbone of our Iran policy for two decades and ultimately helped force Iran to the negotiating table," Deutch said. "Now that the deal is in effect, the Iranian regime must fully understand that violations of the deal will be met with swift and painful snap-back sanctions. By extending this sanctions program, we will continue to lead the international community in ensuring full compliance and vigorous enforcement of the deal.”
Republicans from the Sunshine State also lined up behind the proposal.
Ros-Lehtinen took to the House floor on Tuesday to make the case for the proposal.
“This has been a priority for the United States Congress,” she insisted, noting she had backed sanctions against Iran for more than a decade. She said Iran would break the deal with Obama. “I believe....violations have already taken place,” she said, pointing to “secret exemptions for Iran” and that nation’s efforts to build nuclear weapons. “It’s absolutely vital...that we extend these sanctions.”
“Today, we passed this very important bill for the national security of the United States and our allies in the Middle East,” said U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla. “We need to continue—and we will under this bill—to impose sanctions against Iran. These sanctions work, and they’re the best tool to fight the Iranian regime. I’m very pleased to support this bipartisan bill for our national security.”
The bill now heads to the Senate.
