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Senator Mark Kirk told reporters at the Capitol he expected
the Senate banking committee to vote within weeks on a bill he
co-authored with Democratic Senator Robert Menendez that would
increase sanctions on Iran if the negotiations falter.
Menendez-Kirk was introduced in December 2013, but did not come
up for a vote in the Senate when it was controlled by President
Barack Obama's fellow Democrats. The White House insisted its
passage could endanger international negotiations on Iran's
nuclear program.
The United States, France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China
reached a preliminary agreement with Iran in 2013 for it to
suspend its sensitive nuclear activity in return for easing some
economic sanctions.
The two sides failed for a second time in December to meet a
self-imposed deadline and extended the preliminary accord by
seven months. Frustrated U.S. lawmakers want Obama to be more
forceful with Iran.
Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, said he was working on a bill that
would allow Congress to weigh in before Obama can implement any
final agreement on Iran's nuclear program.
Western powers, fearing Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb, have
imposed penalties that have slashed its oil exports, causing
inflation to soar and the value of its currency to plummet.
Tehran says its nuclear work is purely peaceful.
Iran and the six powers resume negotiations on Jan. 18.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle. Editing by Andre Grenon)
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