Senate Also Urged to Vote on Additional Sanctions Bills Already Passed in House
B’nai B’rith International applauds the Senate and the House of Representatives for their overwhelming bipartisan support for new sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran and urges President Barack Obama to swiftly sign them into law. B’nai B’rith also commends the House for passing two other crucial sanctions bills and urges the Senate to follow suit.
Both the House and Senate have passed the Kirk-Menendez amendment, named for its authors Sens. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ). This piece of legislation—which the Senate passed unanimously with a vote of 100-0—strengthens existing sanctions and penalizes foreign banks for doing business with Iran.
The House also passed the Iran Threat Reduction Act (H.R. 1905) and the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Modernization and Reform Act (H.R. 2105). These bills, which would bolster current sanctions, passed by votes of 410-11 and 418-2, but have yet to be passed by the Senate. B’nai B’rith urges senators to pass these crucial sanctions when they return from break.
These measures would financially weaken Tehran and deter its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Iran’s belligerence to the world community and indifference to international appeals to end its nuclear weapons program provide strong evidence that these sanctions are necessary.
B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs noted: “Sanctions against Iran’s central bank are another powerful tool to bring into sharper focus the danger Iran poses to the world. As the largest state sponsor of terror, Iran is a global menace.”
“We applaud this incredible show of bipartisan support. These tough sanctions should serve notice to Tehran that its defiance of international norms will not be tolerated,” B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin said. “We continue to support Congress in its call for unilateral action against Iran.”
Because of the clear global danger Iran poses, B’nai B’rith has long advocated for the toughest possible sanctions against the Tehran regime.