[Peace-discuss] Iran and Congress

[Robert Naiman]

The co-sponsorship info given here by CLW on the "Iran War Powers"
resolutions is a bit dated.

the info at

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/involved/iran_resolutions_ooi.htm

is current.

The Jones resolution (HJRes 14) is the one that all the major peace
groups working on Iran are pushing: Friends Committee on National
Legislation, Peace Action, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and
Council for a Livable World have done alerts. It has the advantage of
being bipartisan, so that it is at least in the realm of the plausible
that e.g. Rep. Johnson would sign on to it.

The Lee resolution is worthy in its scope (doesn't just oppose a U.S.
attack, but also supports diplomacy, opposes regime change), but there
is no political effort behind it, as far as I am aware. It has the
same number of co-sponsors today (4) as it had the day it was
introduced, which suggests that even Lee's office is not doing
anything to promote it. The Jones res has 39 co-sponsors, and the
DeFazio res has 40; these two have grown steadily in support since
they were introduced. The DeFazio res has no Republican co-sponsors.


On 2/26/07, Morton K. Brussel <brussel4 at insightbb.com> wrote:
> 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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