Sen. Lindsey Graham said Saturday that taking action on legislation tightening sanctions on Iran will be one of the first actions of Congress when Republicans take over the Senate next month.
Graham made the comments during a joint press conference in Israel with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The South Carolina Republican’s pledge to vote on the bill sponsored by Sens. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Robert Menendez, D-N.J., comes as the Obama administration continues to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear program.
“You above all others have said that sanctions are what got Iran to the table and will be the only thing that brings them to a deal that we can all live with,” Graham said to Netanyahu. “I’m here to tell you, Mr. Prime Minister, that the Congress will follow your lead.”
Winding down some of those restrictions would likely be viewed as a bargaining chip to extract concessions out of Iran, and the White House has warned taking up the Kirk-Menendez measure could scuttle the talks. But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are skeptical of the Iranian regime, and Graham said the sanctions legislation was designed to keep Iran honest and at the negotiating table.
“It is important to let the Iranians know that from an American point of view, sanctions are alive and well. So we will be following your counsel and advice. Congress will pursue sanctions for the bigger.”
