Senate Republicans are pressing the majority leader to put an Iran sanctions bill up for an immediate vote in the floor after it passed a key committee, according to a report.
The Senate Banking Committee voted 18 to 4 Thursday to advance the legislation- coauthored by Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, and Mark Kirk, Republican of Illinois- despite warnings from the White House that any sanctions at this juncture would derail the ongoing nuclear talks with Iran.
Some in the GOP are now pushing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, to bring the controversial bill up for a vote immediately in the full Senate, The Hill reports.
?I think it has been heartbreaking to see how few Democrats, even to this day, are willing to stand up to the Obama administration when it comes to the threat of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons capability,? said Sen. Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, who is considering a run for president in 2016.
While 10 Senate Democrats have backed the so-called Kirk-Menendez bill, they have promised not to vote on it before March 24, the date the full Senate is slated to vote on the measure.
As opposed to last year?s version, the new legislation omits the requirements that could have imposed sanctions on Tehran amid talks, and would only trigger sanctions if negotiators from Iran and the P5+1 group fail to secure a long-term agreement on Iran?s nuclear energy program by a July 1 deadline.
President Barack Obama has vowed to veto the final bill if it reaches his desk after passing both houses of Congress.
Kirk and Menendez have sponsored previous sanctions bills against Iran based on the unfounded accusation that Tehran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear program.
Iran rejects the allegation, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
Source: HRJ/HRJ / Press TV
