Menendez guiding bill to boost Iran sanctions

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) is one of seven senators who will draft a final version of the bill that will invoke strong sanctions against the Iranian government and corporations doing business with Iran.

He was named March 15 as a member of the House-Senate Conference Committee that will reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.

Menendez has been a strong supporter of the legislation, known as the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act. It includes freezing the assets of Iranian officials who have supported terrorism and enacting sanctions against companies involved in oil-related business with Iran. It includes a Menendez-sponsored provision that calls for tough action against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

It also prohibits the U.S. government from contracting with companies that export sensitive communications, jamming, or monitoring technology to Iran. It authorizes states, local governments, and mutual funds to divest from firms investing in Iran’s energy sector.

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New Jersey Rep. Leonard Lance (R-Dist. 7) was among the cosponsors of the House version.

“I am eager to get to work on this bill, because I believe deeply that we must apply pressure to the Iranian regime that is a growing threat to the region, the world, and to its own people,” said Menendez in a press release. “We need to move quickly, since time is of the essence.”