Foreign Policy

Members of both parties demanded Friday that the United Nations remove Iran from leading upcoming disarmament talks.

In a letter to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, 72 House members said Iran's “continued pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability,” “grotesque human rights record” and “role as a leading state sponsor of terrorism” should “disqualify” it from chairing the U.N. Conference on Disarmament. The next round of Geneva-based talks will take place from next Monday through June 23. 

“By allowing Iran to chair this Conference, the United Nations is legitimizing a tyrannical regime committed to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction while delegitimizing the United Nations as a force to contain nuclear weapons,” the letter says. “Indeed, a conference seeking nuclear transparency and disarmament will be led by a country operating a dangerous and covert nuclear program that threatens global nuclear instability.”

The Senate voted 99-0 on Wednesday on a resolution that calls for strengthening U.S. and international sanctions against Iran.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) introduced the resolution, which would reaffirm the United States’ support for Israel and recognizes the threat a nuclear Iran would pose to the West. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Monday that there was unanimous consent to take up a Senate resolution that would strengthen enforcement of sanctions against Iran.

Reid said the Senate would debate S.Res. 65 and proceed to a vote on Wednesday afternoon.

The House Monday evening passed legislation that implements four multilateral treaties aimed at preventing the transport of nuclear or other weapons on ships, or terrorist attacks on ships or offshore platforms.

Members approved the Nuclear Terrorism Conventions Implementation and Safety of Maritime Navigation Act, H.R. 1073, in a 390-3 vote. It was brought up under a suspension of House rules, the process the House usually uses to quickly pass non-controversial bills.

Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) last week dropped his support for creating a select committee on last year's attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

Mica added his name to the resolution calling for a select committee in late March. But last Thursday, he asked that his name be removed from that resolution, which was introduced by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.).

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) urged his colleagues Thursday to support a bill he introduced, which would eliminate oil exports from Iran by expanding U.S. production.

The Iran Sanctions Implementation Act, S. 965, would require President Obama to expand U.S. domestic oil production on federal lands to offset Iran’s oil exports to the international community.

Sen. Robert Menendez said Republicans should embrace his bill instead of making “politically driven” attacks.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Republicans lied to the media when they said the Obama administration engaged in a cover-up on the Benghazi attack.

“For months my Republican colleagues have argued that the Obama administration has engaged in a cover-up surrounding an attack in Benghazi,” Reid said Thursday. “The emails prove there was simply no cover-up.”

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) on Wednesday condemned comments from Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto that the use of "comfort women" in Japan during World War II was "necessary."

Royce described "comfort women" as a "state-sponsored program of sexual brutality" against thousands of women during the war. But this week, Hashimoto was reported as saying that these women were "necessary."

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said House Republicans needed to “look in the mirror” on who is to blame for the “Benghazi scandal.”

“Start by looking in the mirror,” Boxer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “Admit that you cut too much from embassy security.”