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 The five senators introduced their bill just five days after Iran
and six world powers announced they had failed to meet a deadline to
end a decade-old dispute over Iran's nuclear program and agreed to
extend an interim agreement for four months, including some further
sanctions relief for Tehran.
News of the extension was greeted with anger by many U.S. lawmakers,
particularly Republicans worried that Tehran has not been
negotiating in good faith. They also fear that Democratic President
Obama will concede too much to Iran in order to claim a foreign
policy victory.
"Congress must weigh in on any final deal, ensure Iranian compliance
is strictly enforced and provide a backstop to prevent a bad deal
from occurring," said Senator Bob Corker, one of the bill's
co-sponsors and the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee.
"While this bill does not include new sanctions on Iran, it allows
Congress to seek further sanctions if an acceptable final deal can't
be reached," the Tennessee lawmaker said in a statement.
The measure is unlikely to come to a vote in the Senate, where
Obama's fellow Democrats who control a majority of the seats have
said it would be inappropriate to pass legislation that would risk
disrupting the Iran talks while they continue.
However, it was a clear indication of wariness from the Republicans,
who many analysts say stand a good chance of taking control of the
Senate in early November elections.
The measure would give Obama three days after conclusion of a final
agreement with Iran to submit the deal to Congress. Lawmakers would
then have 15 days to review it and hold hearings, and then another
15 days to introduce a "resolution of disapproval," which, if
passed, would re-impose any sanctions on Iran that had been lifted.
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The bill also would require the U.S. director of National
Intelligence to inform Congress within 10 days of learning that Iran
was not living up to its obligations under its nuclear agreements or
failing to cooperate with international nuclear inspectors.
And it would bar further extensions of the interim agreement,
instead requiring a reversal of all sanctions relief on Nov. 28,
four days after the current extension period runs out, if there is
not a final deal.
The bill's other sponsors are South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham,
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, John McCain of Arizona and James Risch
of Idaho. All except Graham are members of the foreign relations
panel.
(This story was corrected in final sentence to reflect that Lindsey
Graham is not a member of Senate Foreign Relations Committee)
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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