Below is a summary of legislation on Iran in the 110th Congress. Click here to download a summary of all major Congressional actions on Iran in 2007.
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On January 17, 2008, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced with six other co-sponsors the "Iran Diplomatic Accountability Act of 2008." This new legislation, H.R. 5056, recognizes that serious diplomacy with Iran is the only viable option for easing tensions and normalizing relations between the United States and Iran. The Iran Diplomatic Accountability Act of 2008 takes into account the conclusions of the most recent National Intelligence Estimate. While the resolution finds that serious concerns remain over the Government of Iran's intentions and behavior, it also concludes a diplomatic solution that includes direct, unconditional, bilateral, and comprehensive talks is the only way to resolve long-standing tensions between the United States and Iran. In addition, the legislation would establish a high-level United States representative or special envoy for Iran who would be empowered to engage in direct diplomacy. H.R. 5056 currently has 13 co-sponsors.
There is currently no legislation in the Senate calling for direct, sustained and unconditional talks with Iran. However, Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) sent a personal letter to Bush on October 17,2007 embracing a more comprehensive approach, urging President George W. Bush to “offer direct, unconditional and comprehensive talks with Iran.”
On January 12, 2007 Representatives Walter Jones (R-NC) and Jack Murtha (D-PA) introduced H.J. Res. 14 requiring Congressional authorization prior to a military attack on Iran, absent a national emergency created by an attack by Iran. The resolution currently has 66 co-sponsors. It is unclear whether the co-sponsors will try to introduce it as an amendment to must-pass legislation in 2008 and also unclear if it will come up for a vote as a stand alone measure.
Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced H.R. 770 on January 31, 2007 to prohibit the use of funds to carry out any covert action for the purpose of causing regime change in Iran or to carry out any military action against Iran in the absence of an imminent threat, in accordance with international law and constitutional and statutory requirements for congressional authorization. It was subsequently referred to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, and Intelligence. The resolution currently has 19 co-sponsors and unclear if it will come up for a vote in 2008.
On February 5, 2007 Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) introduced H.Con.Res. 43 which expresses the sense of Congress that the President should implement Recommendation 9 of the Iraq Study Group Report and engage directly with Iran and Syria in order to try to obtain their commitment to constructive policies toward Iraq and other regional issues. The resolution currently has 12 co-sponsors. It is unclear whether the co-sponsors will try to introduce it as an amendment to must-pass legislation in 2008 and also unclear if it will come up for a vote as a stand alone measure.
On July 19, Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) introduced H.R. 3119, the House companion legislation to Senator Jim Webb’s S. 759. The bill currently has 27 co-sponsors. It is unclear whether the co-sponsors will try to introduce the bill as an amendment to must-pass legislation in 2008 and also unclear if it will come up for a vote as a stand alone measure.
On October 25, 2007 Representatives Walter Jones (R-NC), Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) and Ron Paul (R-TX) and Bill Delahunt (D-MA) announced H. J. Res. 53, a bill to restore the constitutional checks and balances over declaring war. Although the bill does not specifically mention Iran, it is clearly meant to reassert the Congressional war-making power to prevent such a conflict.
Representative Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) introduced H.J.Res. 64, the House companion legislation to Senator Obama's S.J.Res. 23, on November 14, 2007 . It was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and currently has 21 co-sponsors. Neither resolution is likely to come up for a vote in 2008.
On January 24, 2007, Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) introduced S.Res.39 expressing the sense of the Senate on the need for approval by the Congress before any offensive military action by the United States against another nation. Though the resolution does not specifically mention Iran, it is meant to prevent a military conflict without prior Congressional approval. Senator Byrd introduced the resolution as amendments to several must-pass bills in 2007, but none of the amendments ever came to a vote on the floor.
On February 15, 2007, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) introduced S.Con.Res. 13, which expresses the sense of Congress that the President should not initiate military action against Iran without first obtaining authorization from Congress. Senator Sanders made several attempts to introduce his resolution as an amendment to must-pass legislation in 2007, but no amendments ever came to a vote.
Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) introduced S. 759 on March 5, 2007 to prohibit the use of funds for military operations in Iran without Congressional authorization. It currently has three co-sponsors. It is unclear whether the co-sponsors will try to introduce the bill as an amendment to must-pass legislation in 2008 and also unclear if it will come up for a vote as a stand alone measure.
On October 25, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introducedS. Res. 356, which currently has 13 co-sponsors, more than any other Senate resolution on preventing war with Iran. Current co-sponsors are: Akaka, Bingaman, Brown, Byrd, Clinton, Dodd, Dorgan, Feinstein, Johnson, Murray, Sanders, Stabenow and Whitehouse. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, but the Senators may look for other opportunities in 2008 to introduce it to must pass legislation. Senator Durbin’s goal is to attract a large group of co-sponsors in order to make it clear that many Senators are wary of a military conflict with Iran, at least not without prior Congressional approval.
Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) introduced S.J.Res. 23 on November 2, 2007 to clarify that the use of force against Iran is “not authorized by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq, any resolution previously adopted, or any other provision of law.” The resolution was subsequently referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations and it does not have any co-sponsors.
On June 4, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Thadeus McCotter (R-MI) and Mike Pence (R-IN) introduced H.R. 6178, legislation “to strengthen existing legislation sanctioning persons aiding and facilitating proliferation activities by the governments of Iran, North Korea, and Syria, and for other purposes.” It is also called the "Security through Termination Of Proliferation Act of 2008" or the "STOP Act of 2008." The bill has been referred to the House Committees on Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, the Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, and Financial Services.
Representatives Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Mike Pence (R-IN) introduced H.Con.Res. 362 on May 22, 2008. The legislation expresses “the sense of Congress regarding the threat posed to international peace, stability in the Middle East, and the vital national security interests of the United States by Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons and regional hegemony, and for other purposes” and urges the President to impose new sanctions on Iran.
Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL) introduced H.R. 2880 to enhance the Iran Sanctions Act by expanding economic sanctions against Iran to include the importation of refined petroleum. The bill has currently has 34 co-sponsors and has been referred to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, Oversight and Government Reform, and Ways and Means. It is unclear whether the resolution will come up for a vote in 2008.
On July 31, 2007 the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2347, the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act, by a vote of 408-6, despite opposition from the Secretaries of State and Treasury. The bill will establish a federal list of companies that have direct investments in Iran’s energy sector and remove specific legal barriers to enable mutual fund and corporate pension fund managers to cut ties with these listed companies if they choose to do so. The bill also provides federal authority for state and local governments that choose to divest their public pension funds and calls on the U.S. government to list companies with more than $20 million invested in Iran's energy sector.
On September 25, 2007 the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act of 2007, H.R. 1400, was voted on Suspension and passed 397-16. Four Republicans and 12 Democrats voted against the measure, with 20 Members not voting. It should be noted that during the floor debate of the bill, not a single Member of Congress stood up to speak in opposition of the bill. Though the bill expresses that it is the Sense of Congress that "the United States should use diplomatic and economic means to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem," the bill focuses on imposing broader unilateral sanctions without calling for the implementation of a more comprehensive diplomatic strategy for resolving all outstanding issues with Iran. In other words, the bill focuses on employing bigger "sticks" in dealing with Iran rather than embracing a comprehensive approach.
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) introduced H.Con.Res. 257 on November 13, 2008. The resolution expresses concern regarding arms transfers to Iran and Syria by the Russian Federation and entities in the Russian Federation and urges the President to implement sanctions against such entities found to be in violation of United States law prohibiting arms transfers to both countries. The resolution was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. It currently has 7 co-sponsors.
On June 2, 2008, Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) introduced S.Res.580 along with Sentors John Thune (R-SD), and Gordon Smith (R-OR). The resolution is the Senate version of H.Con.Res. 362 introduced by Representatives Gary Ackerman and Mike Pence into the House of Representatives on May 22.S.Res.580 resolves that the Senate—
(1) declares that preventing the Government of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, through all appropriate economic, political, and diplomatic means, is a matter of the highest importance to the national security of the United States and must be dealt with urgently;
(2) urges the President, in the strongest of terms, to immediately use the President's existing authority to impose sanctions on-- (A) the Central Bank of Iran and any other Iranian bank engaged in proliferation activities or support of terrorist groups; (B) international banks that continue to conduct financial transactions with sanctioned Iranian banks; (C) energy companies that have invested $20,000,000 or more in the petroleum or national gas sector of the economy of Iran in any given year since the date of the enactment of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note); and (D) companies that continue to do business with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran;
(3) demands that the President lead an international effort to immediately and dramatically increase the pressure on the Government of Iran to verifiably suspend its nuclear enrichment activities by, among other measures, banning the importation of refined petroleum products to Iran; and
(4) asserts that nothing in this resolution shall be construed to authorize the use of force against Iran.
S. 1430, the Senate companion to the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act (H.R. 2347),was introduced by Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) and subsequently referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. It is unclear whether it will come up for a vote in 2008, but there are forces pushing for its passage. The bill would establish a federal list of companies that have direct investments in Iran’s energy sector and remove specific legal barriers to enable mutual fund and corporate pension fund managers to cut ties with these listed companies if they choose to do so. The bill also provides federal authority for state and local governments that choose to divest their public pension funds and calls on the U.S. government to list companies with more than $20 million invested in Iran's energy sector.
S. 970, Iran Counter-Proliferation Act, is the Senate companion to H.R. 1400. Introduced by Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR), it currently has 70 co-sponsors. S. 970 was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance, which is expected to hold a hearing on the legislation on April 8, 2008. It is unclear whether this bill will be voted on in the full Senate and there are currently jurisdictional issues being debated between the Senate Committees on Banking and Finance.
Below is a summary of legislation on Iran in the 110th Congress. 
