Senator Blunt Co-Sponsors Bipartisan Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act

Press Release

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) joined U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (Ill.), Robert Menendez (N.J.), and 23 other U.S. Senators today to introduce the "Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act," bipartisan legislation proposing prospective sanctions on Iran should the regime violate the interim Joint Plan of Action agreed to in Geneva or should Iran fail to reach a final agreement.

"Despite the White House's opposition, many of my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle agree that we must be more aggressive in stopping Iran from developing its nuclear weapons capabilities," said Blunt, who is one of three U.S. Senators to serve on both the defense authorizing and appropriations committees.

The legislation requires further reductions in purchases of Iranian petroleum and applies additional penalties to strategic elements of the Iranian economy, to include the engineering, mining and construction sectors. Simultaneously, it gives the Administration continued flexibility and up to one year from the conclusion of an implementing agreement to pursue a diplomatic track resulting in the complete and verifiable termination of Iran's illicit nuclear weapons program.

"If Iran has not made significant progress towards their determination that they will never pursue nuclear weapons at the end of the six-month interim period, this bipartisan legislation rightly calls for more robust sanctions," Blunt concluded.

In addition to Blunt, Kirk, and Menendez, the legislation was also co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Mark Begich (Alaska), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Ben Cardin (Md), Bob Casey (Pa.), Susan Collins (Maine), Chris Coons (Del.), Bob Corker (Tenn.), John Cornyn (Texas), Ted Cruz (Texas), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Mary Landrieu (La.), John McCain (Ariz.), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Pat Roberts (Kan.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), and Elizabeth Warner (Mass.).

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