Franks/Cruz Introduce "Sanction Iran, Safeguard America Act of 2014"

Washington, DC — Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-08) today introduced H.R. 5709, the Sanction Iran, Safeguard America Act of 2014, or  the SISA Act.  H.R. 5709 is the House companion to Senator Ted Cruz’s SISA Act. The bill would eliminate many of the President’s waiver authorities over sanctions and would impose severe sanctions on Iran, in light of the Iranian regime’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. Included in the legislation are sanctions on Iranian crude oil, oil transportation, financial institutions, petroleum (including sanctions on the purchase, acquisition, sale,  transport, and marketing of petroleum products), and the Iranian automotive sector, among others.

The bill also includes a prohibition on funding for additional negotiations with Iran until a joint resolution of approval by Congress is passed, certifying that all Iranian-held American prisoners of conscience are released; the IAEA has determined Iran has dismantled its nuclear program, ceased enrichment activities and released all stockpiles of enriched uranium; the Central Bank of Iran is no longer considered a primary money laundering concern under the PATRIOT Act; and Iran has renounced their state-sponsorship of terrorism designation by admitting to participation in terrorist acts.

Rep. Trent Franks (AZ)

“When the Obama State Department was recently confronted by the somehow ‘shocking’ revelation that Iran was still feeding uranium into an advanced centrifuge, defying an interim agreement with the Obama Administration, the Administration responded with the sort of naiveté that has become characteristic of Obama Foreign Policy, stating, ‘We raised that issue with Iran as soon as the International Atomic Energy Agency reported it. The Iranians have confirmed that they will not continue that activity as cited in the IAEA report, so it's been resolved.’

“To rephrase: upon learning that the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism had defied an agreement on which the safety of the free world ostensibly rests and that, indeed, Iran was still conducting activities that could help it obtain nuclear weapons with which to carry out its threats to destroy the United States, the Obama Administration -- so sophisticated is their ‘understanding’ of what is, presumably, a tragically misunderstood Iranian regime --  was reassured by a pinky promise that the Iranians won’t do it again.

“Such naiveté would be amusing on an elementary school playground. But on the world stage, when this President seems poised to personally usher in an age of nuclear terrorism, it becomes a very grave thing, indeed. The SISA Act is an attempt to legislatively fill, insofar as it is possible, the vacuum of leadership left by a President who is asleep at the wheel while radical terrorists place their fingers on the nuclear trigger under his very nose.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (TX)

“I appreciate Rep. Trent Franks's leadership in introducing this legislation," said Sen. Ted Cruz. "A nuclear-armed Iran poses an intolerable existential threat to the United States and our allies; we cannot let this misguided diplomatic process drift on endlessly while they plot our destruction. I do hope my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, in the House and the Senate will join us in reversing the disastrous course being charted by the Obama Administration."

A full copy of the legislation is attached.