Ted Deutch: “I thank Ranking Member Engel. I thank Ranking Member Engel and Chairman Royce for moving forward with this critical…”

“I thank Ranking Member Engel. I thank Ranking Member Engel and Chairman Royce for moving forward with this critical piece of legislation to reauthorize the Iran Sanctions Act, which I am proud to introduce with the gentlemen. By extending the Iran Sanctions Act for another 10 years, we will cement the law that has, for 20 years, been the backbone of our Iran policy. Congress worked for many years in a bipartisan manner to craft economic sanctions that have brought maximum pressure on the Iran regime. In fact, it has always been Congress that has been at the forefront of sanctions policy. The nuclear deal is in place, and these sanctions provide the teeth when violations occur. Preserving our sanctions law should not be viewed by anyone as undermining the nuclear deal. It is, in fact, exactly the opposite. When the Iran nuclear agreement was negotiated, the entire success of the deal was predicated on the notion that, should Iran violate the deal, sanctions would immediately be snapped back into place. The very real threat of vigorous enforcement of U.S. sanctions is what holds Iran to its international obligations. Now, I was not a supporter of the nuclear deal, but that does not change the fact that the United States is a party to a multilateral agreement that we have an obligation to enforce vigorously. Strong sanctions from the European Union and the United Nations have come because of American leadership. We must continue to exercise that leadership.…”