EMET Expresses Gratitude to Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for their Unanimous Passage of S. 615, the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act

(Washington DC, April 14, 2015)  Today, the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET) expressed gratitude to members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for their unanimous passage of S. 615, the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, and asked for continued vigilance from policymakers to counter Iranian nuclear capabilities, incursions in the Middle East and sponsorship of terrorism.

On Tuesday, April 14th, Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced that his committee had come to an agreement on a version of S. 615 that passed Committee. White House spokesman Josh Earnest announced this afternoon that while not ‘particularly thrilled’ with the bill, President Obama will sign the legislation if it emerges from committee as formulated.

The intent of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act is to ensure Congress is allowed to review any potential final deal that results from the end of P5+1 talks on June 30. To reach a bipartisan compromise, the review period of a final deal would be shortened to 52 days from 60 and language regarding the lifting of sanctions dependent on Iran’s ending support of terrorism will be softened. The unanimous vote of approval from the committee and the White House’s statement that the bill would be signed is a stark change from President Obama’s initial threat to veto any bill passed regarding the Iranian negotiations. The reason the President suddenly had a change of heart and removed the threat of a veto is because the White House realized that both the Senate and the House would have enough votes to override.

“While it is good to see that Congress will be getting its constitutionally mandated right to review any potential deal, it is crucial that our policymakers and the American public continue to remain vigilant against the threat that Iran poses to the U.S., Israel, and the international community,” said Sarah Stern, Founder and President of EMET.  She added, “We must continue to ensure that Iran is completely prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon, ceases its support of international terrorism, and stops fermenting regional instability in the Middle East.”

For several years, the staff at EMET has done extensive work on the various threats posed by Iran. The day after the election of President Rouhani, EMET held a seminar with experts Ambassadors James Woolsey and John Bolton.  Since the negotiations began, EMET has been providing seminars, white papers, and dozens of articles for public consumption and has been briefing Senators and Congress on the Iranian nuclear threat and Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism. The organization has been heavily involved in providing key Congress members and their staffs, including members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with the information they need to make informed decisions on these crucial issues.  EMET endorsed S. 615 when it was first released to the public earlier this year and has followed its progress ever since. The organization intends to continue providing key information to policymakers as the negotiations continue.