[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7950 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7950
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 11, 2024
Mr. Good of Virginia (for himself, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mr. Ogles,
Mr. Moore of Alabama, and Mr. Higgins of Louisiana) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
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 of
2024''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at
Vienna July 14, 2015, provided the Islamic Republic of 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 the Islamic Republic of 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 the Islamic Republic
of Iran, which will continue 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) The Islamic Republic of 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
influence of the People's Republic of China 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 the Islamic Republic 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 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 the Islamic Republic of Iran annually
funds $100,000,000 to the terrorist organization Hamas to
continue their mission of jihad against the people of Israel.
(9) The United States Government--
(A) unequivocally condemns the terrorist attacks
incited by and originating from Israeli land currently
occupied by Hamas; and
(B) recognizes the right of Israel to defend itself
from terrorist attacks incited by Hamas.
(10) The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is
complicit in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack against the
people of Israel. By openly meeting with senior leaders of
Hamas after the terrorist attack, the Government of the Islamic
Republic of Iran has publicly recognized their involvement such
Hamas-led terrorist attack.
(11) The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is--
(A) perpetrating violence against its own people,
including through the killing of protesters and the
persecution of women and religious minorities; and
(B) involved in severe violations of human rights
throughout the Middle East, including by supporting the
brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
(12) Since 2021, the People's Republic of China has
increased illicit oil purchases from the Islamic Republic of
Iran. Such oil purchases would be permitted if the United
States lifts sanctions with respect to Islamic Republic of Iran
and re-enters the failed Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The People's Republic of China remains the largest oil customer
of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
(13) A portion of the oil that the People's Republic of
China buys from the Islamic Republic of Iran and other
suppliers is potentially being transshipped to the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea.
(14) The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action required that
the United Nations arms embargo on the Islamic Republic of Iran
expire in October 2020, which would have permitted the People's
Republic of China to sell arms to the Islamic Republic of Iran
and vice versa.
(15) President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., has sought to rejoin
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or a similar agreement,
including by undertaking talks with the Government of the
Islamic Republic of Iran and the other parties to the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action.
(16) Officials in the administration of President Biden
have acknowledged that rejoining a nuclear agreement with the
Islamic Republic of 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 the Islamic Republic of Iran with respect to an Iran
nuclear agreement until the President certifies to Congress that--
(1) the Government of the Islamic Republic 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 the Islamic Republic of Iran has
terminated all ties and transfers of cash to Iranian proxy
forces, including Hamas; and
(4) the Government of the Islamic Republic 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 the Islamic Republic of 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 the nuclear program
of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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