WASHINGTON - Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) introduced on Friday the Iran Nuclear Treaty Act seeking to place “a proper constitutional check” on the nuclear agreement with Iran. Johnson was joined by 22 Senate Republicans who joined as co-sponsors.
According to the bill, “any agreement reached by the president with Iran relating to the nuclear program of Iran is deemed to be a treaty that is subject to the requirements of the Constitution of the United States requiring that the treaty is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, with two-thirds of Senators concurring.”
“The president may not waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions under any other provision of law or refrain from applying any such sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran that includes the United States [..] unless the agreement is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate as a treaty and receives the concurrence of two-thirds of Senators,” the text reads.
“President Reagan was right when he said you achieve peace through strength,” Johnson said in a statement. “Unfortunately, our adversaries understand the Biden administration will chart the same weak and disastrous course as President Obama.”
“It’s clear the Biden administration is in the business of appeasing adversaries like Russia, state sponsors of terrorism like Iran, and Iran’s terrorist proxies like Hamas,” he continued. “Instead of addressing the threats these actors pose, the administration will coddle the Iranian regime and ignore its malign activity throughout the region. Any potential agreement with Iran involves risks that affect our entire nation. It is critical to the security of America and to world peace that any deal Biden negotiates with Iran be deemed a treaty requiring approval by the US Senate.”
MEANWHILE, a bipartisan group of 38 senators, led by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mike Rounds (R-SD) sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, calling for allocation of $500 million to fully fund US-Israel cooperative missile defense programs in the Fiscal Year 2022 Defense Appropriations bill.
“The US-Israeli cooperation has resulted in a system that can, and has, countered numerous missile threats from state and non-state actors from adversaries in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and elsewhere,” the senators wrote. “This system provides Israel with the ability to protect lives at home and on the battlefield, keeping its citizens and soldiers out of harm’s way.”
They went on to write that this cooperative program has also created an important flow of data and invaluable insight to support vital US missile defense technology while safeguarding our strategic ally Israel and our service members in the region. “This program synergizes with our ongoing operations in the area increasing interoperability between US and Israeli systems and forces,” they added.
“For Fiscal Year 2022, in addition to ballistic missile defense, $500m. will continue critical work on research, development and test activities to counter hostile unmanned aerial systems,” the letter reads. “This funding will further development of a range of systems designed to handle the imminent threats American and Israeli forces face.”
“Together, these programs confront the compelling challenges facing both Israel and the United States and form a strong foundation of the enduring friendship of our nations,” they wrote.