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Voting largely
along party lines, the Republican-controlled House voted 246 to
179 to pass a new set of sanctions on Iran, and 246 to 181 for a
measure to block Iran's access to the U.S. financial system,
including use of the dollar.
The House on Wednesday passed a bill to bar the U.S. purchase of
"heavy water," also with little backing from Democrats.
Heavy water is a non-radioactive byproduct from making nuclear
weapons and nuclear energy. The Obama administration said in
April the United States would buy $8.6 million worth of heavy
water from Iran, angering Republicans who called it a subsidy of
the country's nuclear program.
The measures were among the last the House passed before
Congress left Washington for a seven-week summer recess. There
was no word on when, or whether, the measures would be taken up
in the Senate.
Every congressional Republican, and several of Obama's fellow
Democrats, opposed the nuclear deal between Iran, the United
States and other world powers announced in July 2015 in which
Tehran agreed to curtail its nuclear program in exchange for
relief from crippling international sanctions.
Since then, Republicans have repeatedly offered sanctions bills
and other Iran-related legislation that Democrats dismiss as
bids to score political points by undermining a deal seen as a
potential foreign policy legacy for Obama.
Republicans say they want to punish Iran for actions including
its ballistic missile tests and send a strong message that
Tehran should abide by its international commitments.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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