New Iran sanctions that threatened negotiations stall on Senate floor
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/12/new-iran-sanctions-that-threatened-negotiations-stall-on-senate-floor/
New Iran sanctions that threatened negotiations stall on Senate floor
By Agence France-Presse
Thursday, December 12, 2013 12:58 EST
Two top US senators agreed with the White House Thursday that Washington should not introduce new sanctions against Iran, warning they could rupture international unity against Tehrans nuclear program.
The comments by the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Banking Committee virtually assured that no new sanctions legislation would pass Congress before the year-end break, although lawmakers could controversially introduce a new sanctions bill within the next week.
Senate Banking Committee chairman Tim Johnson and the committees top Republican Michael Crapo appeared to support the current diplomatic pause sought by President Barack Obama to allow an interim agreement with Iran that halts its nuclear program to take hold.
Let me be clear. I support strong sanctions, and authored many of the US sanctions currently in place, said Johnson, who has been in the spotlight over whether he would introduce a new sanctions regime this year, as several senators have sought.