East Greenbush, N.Y. - Congresswoman Elise Stefanik co-led a letter with Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul to President Biden demanding answers on recent reports of the Administration pursuing a nuclear “agreement” with Iran, possibly in violation of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA) of 2015, alongside a hostage deal exchanging 5 Americans wrongfully detained for 5 Iranian prisoners and access to $6 billion of frozen Iranian funds.
In the letter, the lawmakers state, “The Wall Street Journal reported on August 11 that Iran had “diluted a small amount of 60% enriched uranium in recent weeks and slowed the rate at which it is accumulating new material.” This report coincided with news of a deal for Iran to release five American hostages in exchange for several Iranian prisoners and access to at least $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets held in South Korea and potentially billions more held in Iraq. Taken together, this strongly suggests your Administration has contemporaneously brokered a $6 billion prisoner deal and a nuclear “understanding” with the regime that are inextricably linked. This would be a clear violation of your Administration’s legal obligation under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (“INARA”; 42 U.S.C. 2160e), which requires you to submit any “agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran” requiring U.S. action “regardless of the form it takes, whether a political commitment or otherwise, and regardless of whether it is legally binding or not” (42 U.S.C. 2160e(h)(1)) to Congress for formal review within five days.”
"I have grave concerns about President Biden's possible covert nuclear agreement with Iran and his decision not to inform Congress of such a deal, which violates U.S. law. Making matters worse is the precedent Biden has set by agreeing to a $6 billion ransom for American hostages in Iran. For decades, standing U.S. policy was to refuse ransom payments, a legacy continued by President Trump, who secured the release of two American hostages from Iran without offering a cent of financial relief," stated Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. "Joe Biden's continued weakness on the world stage endangers Americans' safety abroad and at home. House Republicans are committed to a government that's accountable and a nation that's safe. That is why I am demanding transparency from the Biden Administration. The American people deserve to know the truth."
Stefanik is joined by Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul.
Find the full letter HERE.
