[Peace-discuss] Iran and Congress

[Morton K. Brussel]

Stuff about Iran in Congress. Note Durbin as a sponsor of a bill to  
stop the U.S. from supplying aircraft parts to Iran. Appealing to the  
Israli lobby?
On the other hand, Barbara Lee's bill, HR770, would be a helpful.  
Despite the fact that  chances for real action against more U.S.  
aggression in the Middle East from this Congress is probably wishful  
thinking, we have to keep pushing  our wishes.

This information comes from the Council for a Livable World --mkb

Current Congressional Legislative Initiatives on Iran

Updated February 20, 2007

Legislation linked to THOMAS and listed newest to oldest by chamber
Republicans in italics

OFFICIALLY INTRODUCED SENATE LEGISLATION

S. 387 – Sponsor: Ron Wyden (D-OR)
“A bill to prohibit the sale by the Department of Defense of parts  
for F-14 fighter aircraft.”
Introduced: January 25, 2007
Cosponsors (1): Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Summary: S. 387, also known as the “Stop Arming Iran Act,” states  
that “the Department of Defense may not sell (whether directly or  
indirectly) any parts for F-14 fighter aircraft, whether through the  
Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service or through another agency  
or element of the Department.” H.R. 387 is specifically aimed at F-14  
sales to Iran.

S.Res. 39 – Sponsor: Robert Byrd (D-WV)
"A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate on the need for  
approval by the Congress before any offensive military action by the  
United States against another nation."
Introduced: January 24, 2007
Cosponsors (1): Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
Summary: S.Res. 39 reaffirms that although "the President, in an  
emergency, may act to defend the country and repel sudden attack,"  
the Constitution grants Congress "the power to take the country from  
a state of peace to a state of war" and therefore "any offensive  
military action by the United States against another country shall  
occur only after the Congress has authorized such action."

OFFICIALLY INTRODUCED HOUSE LEGISLATION

H.Res. 163 – Sponsor: Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-3)
“Urging the collective judgment of both Congress and the President  
regarding the use of military force by the United States.”
Introduced: February 14, 2007
Cosponsors: 6 Democrats, see THOMAS
Summary: H.Res. 163 expresses the sense of the House that the  
Constitution provides that the President may act to defend the  
country in an emergency, but reserves the matter of offensive war to  
Congress and reaffirms congressional constitutional authority.

H.R. 957 - Sponsor: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-18)
"To amend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to expand and clarify the  
entities against which sanctions may be imposed."
Introduced: February 8, 2007
Cosponsors: 9 Democrats, 10 Republicans, see THOMAS
Summary: H.R. 957 clarifies language in the Iran Sanctions Act of  
1996, modifying the definition of "trust" to include "financial  
institution, insurer, underwriter, guarantor, any other business  
organization, including any foreign subsidiaries" and adds "export  
credit agency" to banned businesses while broadening the defintion of  
petroleum production to include "petroleum by-products, [and]  
liquified natural gas."

H.R. 770 – Sponsor: Barbara Lee (D-CA-9)
“To prohibit the use of funds to carry out any covert action for the  
purpose of causing regime change in Iran or to carry out any military  
action against Iran in the absence of an imminent threat, in  
accordance with international law and constitutional and statutory  
requirements for congressional authorization.”
Introduced: January 31, 2007
Cosponsors: 4 Democrats, see THOMAS
Summary: H.R. 770, also known as the “Iran Nuclear Nonproliferation  
Act,” expresses the sense of Congress that while Iran should put  
enforceable safeguards on its nuclear facilities and stop supporting  
international terrorist organizations, these two outcomes should not  
be preconditions for diplomatic dialogue. H.R. 770 prohibits the use  
of funds for “covert action for the purpose of causing regime change  
in Iran or to carry out any military action against Iran in the  
absence of an imminent threat.”

H.Con.Res. 33 – Sponsor: Peter DeFazio (D-OR-4)
"Expressing the sense of Congress that the President should not  
initiate military action against Iran without first obtaining  
authorization from Congress."
Introduced: January 16, 2007
Cosponsors: 37 Democrats, see THOMAS
Summary: H.Con.Res. 33 references the U.S. Constitution and traces  
the history of the war-making powers of the President to express the  
sense of Congress that: 1) initiating a military attack against Iran  
falls outside the President’s "Commander-in-Chief" constitutional  
authority; 2) the authorization of force resolution approved in  
response to the attacks of September 11, 2001, does not extend to  
authorizing the President to use force against Iran, including over  
its nuclear program; 3) the authorization of force resolution  
approved to go to war with Iraq does not extend to authorizing the  
President to use force against Iran, including over its nuclear  
program; and 4) seeking congressional authorization prior to taking  
military action against Iran isn’t discretionary for the President,  
but a legal and constitutional requirement.

H.J.Res. 14 – Sponsor: Walter Jones (R-NC-3)
“Concerning the use of military force by the United States against  
Iran.”
Introduced: January 12, 2007
Cosponsors: 25 Democrats, 4 Republicans, see THOMAS
Summary: H.J.Res. 14 states that unless there is an “attack by Iran,  
or a demonstrably imminent attack by Iran, upon the United States,  
its territories or possessions or its armed forces,” the President  
must consult with Congress and receive specific authorization prior  
to initiating military force against Iran.

H.R. 394 – Sponsor: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-18)
"To provide for payment of certain claims against the Government of  
Iran."
Introduced: January 10, 2007
Cosponsors: 4 Democrats, 4 Republicans, see THOMAS
Summary: H.R. 394 revokes any provision of the Algiers Accords,  
entered into by the U.S. with Iran on January 19, 1981, that  
"purports to bar a citizen of the United States from prosecuting any  
claim in any court of the United States or to limit the jurisdiction  
of any court of the United States is hereby abrogated and deemed  
nonapplicable." H.R. 394 calls for the Secretaries of Treasury and  
State to commence payments into a common fund no later than 90 days  
after the enactment of H.R. 394. The common fund will pay "claims to  
the Americans held hostage in Iran, and to members of their families"  
by liquidating blocked Iranian assets and by taking funds from the  
Iran Foreign Military Sales Fund account within the Foreign Military  
Sales Fund.

H.Con.Res. 21 – Sponsor: Steven Rothman (D-NJ-9)
"Calling on the United Nations Security Council to charge Iranian  
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the 1948 Convention on  
the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the United  
Nations Charter because of his calls for the destruction of the State  
of Israel."
Introduced: January 9, 2007
Cosponsors: 41 Democrats, 27 Republicans, see THOMAS
Summary: H.Con.Res. 21 condemns Iranian President Mahmoud  
Ahmadinejad's "offensive remarks, contemptible statements, and  
reprehensible policies aimed at the destruction of the State of  
Israel," and calls on the United Nations Security Council to charge  
Ahmadinejad with violating both the 1948 Convention on the Prevention  
and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the United Nations  
Charter (Article 2, Section 4). H.Con.Res. 21 goes on to urge the  
U.N. to take steps to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and  
reaffirms the U.S. "strategic partnership" with Israel.

Research by Travis Sharp, Herbert Scoville Peace Fellow, Center for  
Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, tsharp at armscontrolcenter.org
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