[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4290 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4290
To impose certain requirements relating to the renegotiation or reentry
into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or other agreement relating
to Iran's nuclear program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 24, 2022
Mrs. Blackburn (for herself, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Cassidy, Mr.
Rubio, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Braun, Mr. Cruz, and Mr. Cramer) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To impose certain requirements relating to the renegotiation or reentry
into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or other agreement relating
to Iran's nuclear program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Iran China Accountability Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action provided
Iran with more than $100,000,000,000 in sanctions relief,
circumventing mandatory sanctions imposed pursuant to Acts of
Congress.
(2) In 2016, the United States delivered $400,000,000 in
cash to Iran.
(3) On May 8, 2018, the United States withdrew from the
disastrous Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and implemented a
campaign of maximum economic pressure on Iran until the
regime--
(A) ends its nuclear program, its pursuit of
ballistic missiles, and its support of terrorism and
regional destabilization; and
(B) releases all United States hostages.
(4) Iran and the People's Republic of China signed a 25-
year strategic economic cooperation agreement on March 27,
2021. The relationship between the 2 countries is a strategic
partnership that aims to advance the People's Republic of
China's influence in the Middle East.
(5) The strategic economic cooperation agreement involves a
transfer of $400,000,000,000 from the Chinese Communist Party
to the Government of Iran.
(6) The Chinese Communist Party is committing an ongoing
genocide against Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur
Autonomous Region and suppressing religious freedom throughout
the People's Republic of China.
(7) The Chinese Communist Party is also suppressing
religious freedom by arbitrarily imprisoning Christians,
raiding house churches, and attempting to shut down houses of
worship not endorsed by the Government of the People's Republic
of China.
(8) The Government of Iran is perpetrating violence against
its own people, including through the killing of protesters and
the persecution of women and religious minorities. It is also
involved in severe violations of human rights throughout the
Middle East, including supporting the brutal regime of Bashar
al-Assad in Syria.
(9) Since 2021, the People's Republic of China has
increased illicit oil purchases from Iran. Such oil purchases
would be permitted if the United States lifts sanctions with
respect to Iran and re-enters the failed Iran nuclear deal. The
People's Republic of China remains Iran's largest oil customer.
(10) A portion of the oil that the People's Republic of
China buys from Iran (and from other suppliers) might be
transshipped to North Korea.
(11) The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action required that
the United Nations arms embargo on Iran expire in October 2020,
which would have permitted the People's Republic of China to
sell arms to Iran, and permits Iran to sell arms to China.
(12) The United States Government unequivocally condemns
the Hamas-incited terrorist attacks originating from Israeli
land currently occupied by Hamas.
(13) The United States Government recognizes Israel's right
to defend itself from Hamas-incited terrorist attacks.
(14) President Joseph R. Biden has sought to rejoin the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or a similar agreement,
including undertaking talks with Iran and the other parties to
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in Vienna, Austria.
Those talks are ongoing as of May 2022.
(15) Officials in the administration of President Biden
have acknowledged that rejoining a nuclear agreement with Iran
would entail an easing of the economic sanctions stipulated by
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO ANY IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT.
(a) Limitations Prior to Entering Into Negotiations.--No Federal
funds may be obligated or expended to enter into any negotiation with
the Government of Iran with respect to an Iran nuclear agreement until
the President certifies to Congress that--
(1) the Government of Iran has terminated--
(A) all agreements involving the transfer of funds
to such Government from the People's Republic of China;
and
(B) all agreements involving a strategic military
or security partnership with the People's Republic of
China;
(2) the Government of the People's Republic of China has
ceased to incarcerate Uyghur individuals in concentration camps
in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region;
(3) the Government of Iran has terminated all ties and
transfer of cash to Iranian proxy forces, including Hamas; and
(4) the Government of Iran has verified the destruction of
any and all chemical weapons, materials, and infrastructure.
(b) Requirement for Contents of Agreement.--No Federal funds may be
obligated or expended for United States entry into any Iran nuclear
agreement, and the President may not take any action (including in the
form of an agenda, agreement, platform, or plan) to carry out the goals
of such an agreement, unless such agreement certifies the destruction
of any and all Iranian nuclear and missile capabilities, weapons,
infrastructure, chemical weapons, and offensive cyber activity.
(c) Ratification Required.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, any Iran nuclear agreement shall be deemed a treaty subject to the
requirement that the Senate provide its advice and consent pursuant to
article II, section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution of the United
States. The President may not take any action (including in the form of
an agenda, agreement, platform, or plan) to carry out the goals of such
an agreement until the Senate has adopted a resolution of advice and
consent with respect to that agreement.
(d) Report Required.--The Secretary of State shall submit to
Congress, prior to the submission of a proposed Iran nuclear agreement
to the Senate for its advice and consent in accordance with subsection
(c), a report setting forth the manner and extent to which the
negotiation and terms of such proposed Iran nuclear agreement comply
with each limitation and requirement under this section.
(e) Iran Nuclear Agreement Defined.--In this section, the term
``Iran nuclear agreement'' means--
(1) the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at
Vienna July 14, 2015, by Iran and by the People's Republic of
China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United
Kingdom and the United States, with the High Representative of
the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and
all implementing materials and agreements related to the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action; and
(2) any successor or other agreement exchanging relief from
international sanctions for restrictions on Iran's nuclear
program.
<all>