WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced legislation to prohibit the Biden administration from waiving Congressional sanctions that prohibit cooperation on Iran’s nuclear program, originally issued under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Cotton (R-AR), Cassidy (R-LA), Cramer (R-ND), Ernst (R-IA), Braun (R-IN), Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Hoeven (R-ND), Tillis (R-NC), Blackburn (R-TN), Hagerty (R-TN), and Inhofe (R-OK). Last month, the Biden administration notified Congress it was giving Iran and its international partners—including Russia—a waiver for seven civil nuclear activities, which Iran uses to build its nuclear program. Sen. Cruz fought to rescind those waivers, and the Trump administration did so in 2019 and 2020.
This week the Biden administration confirmed that the waivers will allow Russia to conduct projects with Iran valued at $10 billion.
Upon introducing the legislation, Sen. Cruz said:
“The Biden administration is dismantling sanctions and is aching to secure a new agreement with the Iranian regime that is even weaker than the original catastrophic Obama-Iran nuclear deal. The Biden administration is so committed to their deal that they are willing to make Iran a nuclear client for Putin, including work that amounts to a $10 billion subsidy for his war machine.
That’s why I’ve introduced legislation to stop the Biden administration from issuing civil-nuclear waivers allowing Russia to build up Iran’s nuclear program. The Ayatollah exploits these civil nuclear waivers to build up Iran’s nuclear program with the express intention of eventually developing nuclear weapons to inflict destruction on America and our allies. When he chants ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America,’ he means it. President Trump rightly ended these waivers, and now the Biden administration is resurrecting them. It’s unconscionable, and Congress must put a stop to it.”