Failure to Pass Iran Sanctions Act Leaves the World More Dangerous

(Washington, DC)  —  Rep. Wasserman Schultz released the following statement on the Senate’s failure to pass the Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act:

“I am extremely disappointed by the partisan politics of Senate Republicans who blocked H.R.7112, the Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2008. As an original cosponsor of this critical legislation, I was pleased when the House passed this bill and I had expected that the Senate, in the interest of the security of our nation, would do the same. Shamefully, this vital legislation failed due to opposition from Republican Senators, who refused to pass a bill with provisions based on those authored by Senator Barack Obama.

“It cannot be overstated – a nuclear-armed Iran is a deadly threat to peace and stability in the Middle East and at home. The anti-Western rhetoric of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has only intensified in recent years, as was clear from the hate-filled propaganda he spouted at the United Nations just a few weeks ago. His regime supports terrorism in all its forms, a travesty worsened by the fact that Iran continues to pursue nuclear weapons against the will of the international community. President Ahmadinejad has denied the existence of the Holocaust and convened a conference to promulgate this hate-inspired claim. President Ahmadinejad has also called for Israel, the Middle East’s only democracy, to be wiped off the face of the earth.”

“We should be working in a bipartisan spirit, night and day to ensure that Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons, support for terrorism, disregard for international agreements, and anti-Israel rhetoric comes to an end. This legislation would have ensured that if Iran did not end its quest to obtain nuclear weapons and its support for international terrorism, it would face strong economic pressure in the form of expanded sanctions on commercial dealings with Iran and support for divestment from Iranian enterprises.

Senate Republicans had an extraordinary opportunity to stand up for Israel’s security in recent days, but instead, they let America down by putting presidential politics ahead of the safety and security of our nation and Israel. Instead of supporting Barack Obama’s legislation to pressure Iran by accelerating state and local divestment initiatives, Senate Republicans ignored the very real threat to Israel. We cannot afford four more years of this kind of failed judgment that has left Israel endangered and America less secure.