Text: S.Res.65 — 113th Congress (2013-2014)
Shown Here:
Agreed to Senate (05/22/2013)
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[S. Res. 65 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 65
Strongly supporting the full implementation of United States and
international sanctions on Iran and urging the President to continue to
strengthen enforcement of sanctions legislation.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 28, 2013
Mr. Graham (for himself, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Schumer, Mr.
Cornyn, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Casey, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Gillibrand,
Mr. Kirk, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Collins, Mr.
Begich, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Brown, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Portman, Mr. Manchin, Mr.
Lautenberg, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Heller, Mr. Roberts, Mr.
Baucus, Ms. Stabenow, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Tester,
Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Burr, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Chambliss, Mrs.
Hagan, Mr. Moran, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Toomey, Mr. Grassley, Mr.
Johanns, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Coons, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Inhofe, Mr.
Whitehouse, Mr. Warner, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr.
Scott, Mr. Flake, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Coburn, Mr.
Lee, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. McCain, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Vitter,
Mr. Durbin, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Hatch, Mr. McConnell, Ms. Cantwell, Mr.
Risch, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Coats, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Landrieu,
Mr. Thune, Mr. Johnson of Wisconsin, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Cowan,
Mr. King, Mr. Franken, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Corker, Mr. Udall of Colorado,
Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Levin, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Reed, Mr.
Alexander, Ms. Warren, Mr. Sessions, and Mr. Carper) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations
April 17, 2013
Reported by Mr. Menendez, with an amendment
May 22, 2013
Considered, amended, and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Strongly supporting the full implementation of United States and
international sanctions on Iran and urging the President to continue to
strengthen enforcement of sanctions legislation.
Whereas, on May 14, 1948, the people of Israel proclaimed the establishment of
the sovereign and independent State of Israel;
Whereas, on March 28, 1949, the United States Government recognized the
establishment of the new State of Israel and established full diplomatic
relations;
Whereas, since its establishment nearly 65 years ago, the modern State of Israel
has rebuilt a nation, forged a new and dynamic democratic society, and
created a thriving economic, political, cultural, and intellectual life
despite the heavy costs of war, terrorism, and unjustified diplomatic
and economic boycotts against the people of Israel;
Whereas the people of Israel have established a vibrant, pluralistic, democratic
political system, including freedom of speech, association, and
religion; a vigorously free press; free, fair, and open elections; the
rule of law; a fully independent judiciary; and other democratic
principles and practices;
Whereas, since the 1979 revolution in Iran, the leaders of the Islamic Republic
of Iran have repeatedly made threats against the existence of the State
of Israel and sponsored acts of terrorism and violence against its
citizens;
Whereas, on October 27, 2005, President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for a
world without America and Zionism;
Whereas, in February 2012, Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei said of Israel,
``The Zionist regime is a true cancer tumor on this region that should
be cut off. And it definitely will be cut off.'';
Whereas, in August 2012, Supreme Leader Khamenei said of Israel, ``This bogus
and fake Zionist outgrowth will disappear off the landscape of
geography.'';
Whereas, in August 2012, President Ahmadinejad said that ``in the new Middle
East . . . there will be no trace of the American presence and the
Zionists'';
Whereas the Department of State has designated the Islamic Republic of Iran as a
state sponsor of terrorism since 1984 and has characterized the Islamic
Republic of Iran as the ``most active state sponsor of terrorism'' in
the world;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has provided weapons,
training, funding, and direction to terrorist groups, including Hamas,
Hizballah, and Shiite militias in Iraq that are responsible for the
murder of hundreds of United States service members and innocent
civilians;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has provided weapons,
training, and funding to the regime of Bashar al Assad that has been
used to suppress and murder its own people;
Whereas, since at least the late 1980s, the Government of the Islamic Republic
of Iran has engaged in a sustained and well-documented pattern of
illicit and deceptive activities to acquire a nuclear weapons
capability;
Whereas, since September 2005, the Board of Governors of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found the Islamic Republic of Iran to be
in non-compliance with its safeguards agreement with the IAEA, which
Iran is obligated to undertake as a non-nuclear-weapon State Party to
the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, done at
Washington, London, and Moscow July 1, 1968, and entered into force
March 5, 1970 (NPT);
Whereas the United Nations Security Council has adopted multiple resolutions
since 2006 demanding of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
its full and sustained suspension of all uranium enrichment-related and
reprocessing activities and its full cooperation with the IAEA on all
outstanding issues related to its nuclear activities, particularly those
concerning the possible military dimensions of its nuclear program;
Whereas the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has refused to comply
with United Nations Security Council resolutions or to fully cooperate
with the IAEA;
Whereas, in November 2011, the IAEA Director General issued a report that
documented ``serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to
Iran's nuclear programme,'' and affirmed that information available to
the IAEA indicates that ``Iran has carried out activities relevant to
the development of a nuclear explosive device'' and that some activities
may be ongoing;
Whereas the Government of Iran stands in violation of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights for denying its citizens basic freedoms, including the
freedoms of expression, religion, peaceful assembly and movement, and
for flagrantly abusing the rights of minorities and women;
Whereas in his State of the Union Address on January 24, 2012, President Barack
Obama stated, ``Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent
Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the
table to achieve that goal.'';
Whereas Congress has passed and the President has signed into law legislation
imposing significant economic and diplomatic sanctions on Iran to
encourage the Government of Iran to abandon its pursuit of nuclear
weapons and end its support for terrorism;
Whereas these sanctions, while having significant effect, have yet to persuade
Iran to abandon its illicit pursuits and comply with United Nations
Security Council resolutions;
Whereas more stringent enforcement of sanctions legislation, including elements
targeting oil exports and access to foreign exchange, could still lead
the Government of Iran to change course;
Whereas, in his State of the Union Address on February 12, 2013, President Obama
reiterated, ``The leaders of Iran must recognize that now is the time
for a diplomatic solution, because a coalition stands united in
demanding that they meet their obligations. And we will do what is
necessary to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon.'';
Whereas, on March 4, 2012, President Obama stated, ``Iran's leaders should
understand that I do not have a policy of containment; I have a policy
to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.'';
Whereas, on October 22, 2012, President Obama said of Iran, ``The clock is
ticking . . . And we're going to make sure that if they do not meet the
demands of the international community, then we are going to take all
options necessary to make sure they don't have a nuclear weapon.'';
Whereas, on May 19, 2011, President Obama stated, ``Every state has the right to
self-defense, and Israel must be able to defend itself, by itself,
against any threat.'';
Whereas, on September 21, 2011, President Obama stated, ``America's commitment
to Israel's security is unshakeable. Our friendship with Israel is deep
and enduring.'';
Whereas, on March 4, 2012, President Obama stated, ``And whenever an effort is
made to delegitimize the state of Israel, my administration has opposed
them. So there should not be a shred of doubt by now: when the chips are
down, I have Israel's back.'';
Whereas, on October 22, 2012, President Obama stated, ``Israel is a true friend.
And if Israel is attacked, America will stand with Israel. I've made
that clear throughout my presidency . . . I will stand with Israel if
they are attacked.'';
Whereas, in December 2012, 74 United States Senators wrote to President Obama
``As you begin your second term as President, we ask you to reiterate
your readiness to take military action against Iran if it continues its
efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon. In addition, we urge you to work
with our European and Middle Eastern allies to demonstrate to the
Iranians that a credible and capable multilateral coalition exists that
would support a military strike if, in the end, this is unfortunately
necessary.''; and
Whereas the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012
(Public Law 112-150) stated that it is United States policy to support
Israel's inherent right to self-defense: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
Congress--
(1) reaffirms the special bonds of friendship and
cooperation that have existed between the United States and the
State of Israel for more than sixty years and that enjoy
overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress and among the
people of the United States;
(2) strongly supports the close military, intelligence, and
security cooperation that President Obama has pursued with
Israel and urges this cooperation to continue and deepen;
(3) deplores and condemns, in the strongest possible terms,
the reprehensible statements and policies of the leaders of the
Islamic Republic of Iran threatening the security and existence
of Israel;
(4) recognizes the tremendous threat posed to the United
States, the West, and Israel by the Government of Iran's
continuing pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability;
(5) reiterates that the policy of the United States is to
prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon capability and to
take such action as may be necessary to implement this policy;
(6) reaffirms its strong support for the full
implementation of United States and international sanctions on
Iran and urges the President to continue and strengthen
enforcement of sanctions legislation;
(7) declares that the United States has a vital national
interest in, and unbreakable commitment to, ensuring the
existence, survival, and security of the State of Israel, and
reaffirms United States support for Israel's right to self-
defense; and
(8) urges that, if the Government of Israel is compelled to
take military action in legitimate self-defense against Iran's
nuclear weapons program, the United States Government should
stand with Israel and provide, in accordance with United States
law and the constitutional responsibility of Congress to
authorize the use of military force, diplomatic, military, and
economic support to the Government of Israel in its defense of
its territory, people, and existence.
SEC. 2. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this resolution shall be construed as an authorization
for the use of force or a declaration of war.
