Senate approves bill to extend economic sanctions on Iran with support from Gardner, Capito, Wicker

U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) recently voted in support of legislation that would extend economic sanctions against Iran through 2026.

The Iran Sanctions Extension Act will advance to President Barack Obama where he is expected to sign it into law following Senate approval on Thursday. The bill had previously cleared the House by a vote of 419-1.

The sanctions will expire at the end of the year without congressional action, lawmakers said.

“While the Obama administration refuses to take meaningful action to deter Iran from testing ballistic missiles, financing terror groups and threatening our closest ally, Israel, Congress has acted to ensure we have the ability to respond to Iran’s increasingly belligerent behavior,” Gardner, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said.

“This legislation puts the safety and security of the American people first and is central to ratcheting up pressure on the murderous regime in Tehran, which has no respect for international norms,” he said.

Gardner said he would work with the next administration to prevent Iran from threatening the safety of its neighbors or U.S. interests.

Speaking in support of the bill, Capito said Iran continues to be a threat to the United States and its allies.

“These sanctions are an essential tool to prevent nuclear proliferation by the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, and it is critical that we keep them in place in order to protect the American people,” Capito said. “I urge the president to swiftly sign this bill into law.”

Wicker, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that allowing the sanctions to lapse would be a mistake.

“The current deal with Iran has only emboldened the regime,” Wicker said. “I am hopeful these sanctions will strengthen America’s hand in dealing with the Iranian government after President-elect Trump takes office in January.”