Washington, D.C.— U.S. Representative Andy Barr (R-KY) and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) are partnering on legislation that complicates the Biden Administration’s path to rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or “Iranian Nuclear Deal.” U.S. President Joe Biden has signaled his Administration is considering rejoining the disastrous JCPOA. The proposed bill, the Iran Nuclear Deal Advise and Consent Act of 2021, is a preemptive move to cut off funding for the rejoining of the JCPOA unless and until the Biden Administration submits the agreement to Congress for approval as a formal treaty. The Barr-Blackburn proposal reclaims Congressional authority over the treaty process as required under Article I of the U.S. Constitution.
Rep. Barr introduced this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives in March. On Monday, Senator Blackburn introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Rounds (R-S.C.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) are all cosponsoring the bill in the Senate.
“Recently, Iran announced their intentions to increase their uranium enrichment, accelerating their path towards a nuclear weapon. By even considering rejoining the JCPOA at this point, the Biden Administration is threatening to undermine the American-Israeli alliance and further exacerbate the conflict over Iran’s nuclear weapons pursuit,” said Representative Barr. “Barr-Blackburn ensures Congress will serve as a check on the Biden Administration’s urge to rejoin the failed JCPOA and reclaims Congressional oversight over the international treaty process which is enshrined in Article I of the U.S. Constitution.”
“The Obama-Biden administration bent over backwards to appease Iran and even sent a jumbo-jet filled with $400 million in pallets of cash to the murderous regime,” said Senator Blackburn. “It’s time for Biden to wake up and realize that the U.S. cannot negotiate an honest agreement with Iran because they are a fanatical, anti-American regime. No amount of negotiating, or ‘indirect discussions,’ can change that. My legislation will prevent Biden from circumventing the U.S. Senate to salvage the failed deal or forge a new, just as disastrous one.”
In the wake of the power outage at Iran’s nuclear facility earlier this month, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced that Iran would increase their enrichment to 60%. The escalated tensions in the Middle East comes on the heels of the Biden Administration announcing that they would provide over $225 million in aid to Palestinians. The Biden Administration increased aid despite the ongoing “Pay to Slay” scheme the Palestinian Authority uses to pay the families of deceased terrorists, some of whom targeted Americans and or Israelis during their terrorist operations.
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