Senate

Senators endorse Iran sanctions in budget vote

by Jordain Carney - 03/26/15 6:08 PM ET

Senators unanimously approved an amendment Thursday that backs bolstering sanctions against Iran if President Obama can’t verify that the country is following a nuclear deal.

The wave of support came after the amendment, offered by Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), was amended.

{mosads}The Illinois Republican’s amendment originally supported restoring rolled-back sanctions, as well as applying new sanctions, if Iran violated the interim deal currently in place or a long-term agreement on its nuclear program.

The final amendment supports reimposed and new sanctions against Iran if Obama “cannot make a determination and certify that Iran is complying” with an agreement.

The amendment establishes a “deficit-neutral reserve fund,” meaning that it can’t add to the deficit, and is nonbinding, but it does get senators on the record on Iran sanctions.

Kirk is behind a separate piece of legislation that would ratchet up sanctions against Iran. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said earlier this week that lawmakers would take up that bill if a deal isn’t reached.

Negotiators are currently facing an end-of-the-month deadline to reach a framework agreement for a long-term nuclear deal, with a final deadline at the end of June.

Tags Mark Kirk Mitch McConnell