WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Thursday, the Foreign Affairs Committee advanced legislation that would block the lifting of sanctions on individuals already slated for sanctions relief under the Iran nuclear deal, if they knowingly supported the Iranian ballistic missile program, or alleged acts of terrorism.
"I think it will pass here [in the House] on a partisan vote," Engel said on Thursday. "I don’t know if it will pass in the Senate, but if it does the president [Barack Obama] will veto it and they won’t have two thirds to override his veto."
Engel noted that Republicans were eager to pass the bill to "embarrass the president" and set up a series of votes aimed at derailing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to score points with their constituents.
The new sanctions bill was introduced shortly before the United States planned to implement sanctions relief on Iran, as agreed to in the 2015 JCPOA. The new bill was reportedly drafted in response to recent ballistic missile tests by Iran.
