[Peace-discuss] CQ: Berman Puts Off Action on Iran Sanctions Bill

[Robert Naiman]

CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS – FOREIGN POLICY

May 25, 2010 – 12:06 p.m.

*Berman Puts Off Action on Iran Sanctions Bill*

By Emily Cadei, CQ Staff

Congress will not push forward with a final vote on legislation sanctioning
companies doing business with Iran until after the Memorial Day recess,
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard L. Berman, D-Calif., said
Tuesday.

The delay until at least mid-June is a nod to U.S. progress on a new round
of multilateral sanctions in the U.N. Security Council. Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton announced last week that the United States had
secured a deal on sanctions language among the five permanent Security
Council members and Germany.

“We are going to hold off for a few weeks on moving the bill finally because
we want to get that Security Council resolution and see what the E.U. does
with their June 16 meeting,” said Berman, referring to the upcoming meeting
of the European Council, which is composed of the heads of state or
government of European Union member states.

House and Senate conferees are close to finalizing language on the
legislation. “We would have moved already this week if it weren’t for” the
deal the United States struck in the United Nations, said Berman, whose
committee, along with the Senate Banking Committee, has taken the lead on
reconciling the House- and Senate-passed bills (HR 2194, S 2799).

The move is likely to face some blowback from antsy members of Congress, who
have been urging tougher action on Iran for the last several months. The
legislation, passed by large bipartisan majorities in both chambers, would
enact an extensive bilateral sanctions regime on companies that do business
in Iran’s energy sector.

Berman, however, said he expects members will understand the desire to wait
a bit longer. “I think, generally, most people who think about it see the
wisdom of not taking it up now, of passing a strong bill after we’ve given
the Security Council” room to move forward.

But he added that Congress was not prepared to wait around forever for U.N.
action. “If it doesn’t play out quickly, we’re going ahead,” said Berman.
“We’re doing this before the July Fourth recess.”

Source: *CQ Today Online News *

-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org

Urge Congress to Support a Timetable for Military Withdrawal from
Afghanistan
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/feingold-mcgovern

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