To law school and, look im in electricity. Theres jobs for people across the spectrum of interest. Its not all about stem. We need people of all the different disciplines. How about a round of applause for our speaker. Thank you so much for being first at the National Press club we hope many future ferc chairman follow our lead and come see us at the National Press club. I would also like to thank the National Press club staff including its Journalism Institute and the Broadcast Center for organizing todays event. Finally heres a reminder you can find more information not only about todays event but all of our activities at the National Press club at the National Press club website. Thats press. Org. Also, if youd like to get a copy of todays program you can go to that website, press. Org. Thank you very much. We are adjourned. Were live on capitol hill this morning as the House Banking Committee is meeting to mark up or finalize a bill introduced by bob kirk and Robert Menendez that would introduce a new bill if there is a file your to sign iran. This is live coverage on cspan3. The free iran act of 2015. Id like to commend at this time senators kirk and senators menendez for their tireless efforts and i mean tireless over so many months putting this legislation together. Earlier this week we heard testimony from Senior Administration officials and a panel of experts on the need for iran sanctions. I will note this testimony is in addition to at least 11 other times Administration Officials have testified before Senate Committees on iran since 2013. Yesterday, members also participated in a classified breeing on iran sanctions which covered many of the same topics of numerous other classified briefings for members of congress and staff on iran. Moreover, this topic has been discussed and analyzed with the administration in multiple settings by most of us. Both the administration and its critics agree it was the escalating pressures of economic and financial sanctions many of which originated in this committee that brought iran to the negotiating table in 2013. In resident months, the sting of this pressure seems to be lessening in part because some of the sanctions have been eased. What was supposed to be six months of talks began in late 2013 to address the socalled joint plan of action on Irans Nuclear program. Since then, there have been two extensions of talks and negotiations today continued. It appears a third extension is likely to occur. Even the president has stated the odds of reaching a final agreement are no better than 5050. I believe theres bipartisan consensus more needs to be done to compel iran to reach a final agreement. Congress, i believe, must act without hesitation in order to show iran further delays will have consequences. The nuclearfree iran act of 2015 we consider today will impose new sanctions if and only if iran fails to arrive at a final agreement by the negotiating deadline. The legislation would also allow for increased congressional oversight of the Nuclear Negotiations with iran by requiring the president to submit the submit to techs by any agreement with congress. This legislation is long overdue. Time for congress to act. I understand we have a number of amendments today. I will first turn to senator brown for opening remarks and then offer senators kirk and menendez to offer brief opening remarks if they choose to do so. Any other member may submit a statement for the record or after the final vote. Mr. Brown. Thank you mr. Chairman. None of us disagrees with the goal of the legislation before us. Were united in our desire of preventing iran from securing a Nuclear Weapon through peaceful diplomacy if possible and otherwise if necessary. The debates are often of little consequence. In this debate, tactics could have an enormous consequence of our interNational Interests. Many have talked about how the sanctions have brought iran to the negotiating table. I think thats true. Its been a solid Multi Lateral regime that has done so. It seems to me those who have the greatest skepticism about reaching an agreement with iran should also have the greatest reluctance to do anything to stiff stiffen sanctions on a Multi Lateral basis should negotiations fail. Thats not the case. The administration and some of our closest alis are telling us the conclusion of the negotiations may in fact this is so important may in fact make it significantly harder to keep the coalition, the p 5 plus 1 and our other allies who have been supportive harder to keep the coalition together. My democratic colleagues on the committee includeing senators Menendez Schumer and donnelly have said they will give the president until after march 24th before agreeing to support new sanction legislation on the floor. This is helpful. Even so, four of us have heard from Europe Ambassadors on tuesday our closest partners on these negotiations turning that soft deadline and fluid negotiations into a hard deadline for legislative action may have consequences for negotiations, our partners and ultimately for us and our National National interests, consequences we cant now foresee. Congress should have the collective patience to wait until the end of june to see whether our negotiators can resolve the Nuclear Issue with iran through diplomacy. Once thats determined and if negotiations fail j congress and the president will, unquestionably will join hands in applying greater pressure. Well be in a far better position to ask the rest of the world to join us. In the past this committee worked patiently to maximize the this on iran and making it less for our country and allies. Were considering a bill with no legislative hearings no opportunities to thoroughly and responsibly assess the likely consequences of our action. The additional questions for instance for the witnesses from tuesdays hearing are not due until next week after this vote. The answers will be received some time later. These answers should be used to inform our work, not secondguess it after we vote it yet were marking up this bill before we even have decided what questions to ask. There are five new committee members. On this committee we have not had a hearing on iran sanctions since december 2013. They for all intents and purposes have had three days of formalized discussions. The hearing, not on legislative language, just the hearing on tuesday, a classified briefing yesterday, mr. Chairman, that was a very youthfuluseful briefing unfortunately through no doing of the chairmans that briefs was truncated and lasted only an hour because of senate votes and were meeting today. No hearing on legislative language whether its the chairman or whatever language will be in front of us. There are substantive issues to be addressed should negotiations fail and how quickly . I wont go into detail but they should be resolved before floor consideration. The negotiations would dramatically undermine our negotiations with negotiating partners and eventually jeopardize International Support for Multi Lateral sanctions. He will veto the bill. Our negotiating partners expressed similar opposition. Were acting hastily and unwisely. If Congress Works to force the president s hand in the next few months overriding a veto and our heading down a path towards military confrontation congress, beginning with each of us, will rightly be held responsible. This is the first step in a longer legislative process. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and both sides of congress will finally heed the president s warnings and give our negotiates the time to try to resolve this diplomatically. We have time for all relevant committees in both houses to insure all members are fully informed of the potentially profound and historic consequences of our actions. Lets use it. Saturday kirk. Thank you. I would like to thank the whole committee working on this. I have been working on this legislation some number of years to thread the ultimate need toll make sure we achieve the noble cause of making sure we avoid a nuclear war in the persian gulf and make sure our kids never ever have to witness such an event. To make sure this war in the persian gulf does not happen. Wanted to use the strongest possible nonmilitary means to affect this event. I would say that sanctions do work that we have seen previous the menendezkirk sanctions take the value of irans currency by 76 . The president over and over said those original sanctions are the entire reason why the iranians are even at the table. I say lets back a winning strategy, as we have done, and make sure the nuclear war in the persian gulf never happens. For those that think were rushing too fast, were probably acting way too late from what i heard in the classified briefing how close iran is coming on enrichment of uranium. With that i reemphasize my thank you thank you thank yous to bob menendez my partner on this. Weve been attempting to make sure we bring the whole senate forward with democrats and republicans in a most unified way. Way. Senator menendez. With that, i would yield to bob. I recognize the senator. Thank you mr. Chairman. Let me start off by thanking senator kirk working with me over many years to accomplish a mutual goal to have iran never achieve the capacity for a Nuclear Weapon. I appreciate his work. The essence of this legislation has been well debated over the course of a year and probably had more attention from the senate reForeign Relations hearing and banking hearings and classified hearings than most pieces of legislation we ever deal with. I would say that in that context, i support moving forward today, but i want to reiterate my position along with other democrats that have joined with me i have no intention, while i move to vote in support of the underlying legislation, i have no intention of moving forward and supporting it on the floor if it is brought before the march 24th deadline to understand whether or not an agreement is possible and what an agreement would look like. I would just say, mr. Chairman this legislation has been carefully calibrated to achieve our ultimate goal to prevent iran from achieving nuclear capability. The essence of the legislation itself timing may be an issue i think if the essence of the legislation was brought up in time it would have broad bipartisan support i think is essential at the end of the day, to send the world and iran the messages we have sent in the past so as they calibrate their Decision Making they understand we are very closely unified in our goal. I will say i respect every members rights to offer amendments. I have offered them in the past and sometimes have withheld in order to achieve the greater good. I respect every members rights to offer amendments. While i support some amendments i apologizeoppose others i think at this time would move us in the direction to break the very essence of the strong bipartisan support we need. Finally, i am concerned, i must say, when i had been reading and hearing constantly the refrain, if no agreement, what then . Because that suggests there has to be an agreement at virtually any cost. Now, an agreement that is bad is not good in the National Interests and security of the United States or our ally the state of israel or the effort to stop a Nuclear Weapons arms race in this tinder box of the world which is this middle east. As i traveled in those countries, many other allies not brought before the committee but would tell you the saudis, emir radys, turkey among others that if in fact iran achieves Nuclear Weapons capability, they will under the theory of selfdestruction seek to do the very same things themselves that being a defensive mechanism against that ultimate possibility. I simply suggest this constant refrain that if no deal, then what . That sort of like indicates to me we are headed for a deal for deals sake and that is extremely dangerous. There are other alternatives, being prepared to have iran understand it will suffer even more greatly and maybe create regime change from within the ayatollah does not want may be the mechanism to have them decide to make the deal we would all want. What i dont want to do is be in the process of an appeasement that ultimately left north korea to be a Nuclear Weapons state. That is not a history that i want to relive once again. Thats why many of us are focused on this in that context so that we dont relive that history and challenge we have on the north Korean Peninsula and that part of the world as a result of the bad choices that were made at that time. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you. We now have a quorum. We will turn to amendments. The First Amendment is the chairmans amendment. Very straightforward, technical in nature. It would require the president to deliver to congress an economic sanctions relief assess am report by the secretary of the treasury. In addition to the verification assessment, report by the secretary of state required in the bill within five days of entering into a long term comprehensive solution or any extension of the joint action plan. Plan. So moved. Thank you. With that the question on the chairmans amendment, amendment number one, those in favor. Mr. Chairman, i commend the chairman of this initiative. I know its intended to insure greater clarity about the direct and indirect value of sanctions relief. At some point it should be balanced by the cost of the amendment. With that i have no objection. With that those in favor say aye. All opposed say nay and eyeayes have it. It is agreed to. I understand the other senators wishing to offer amendments. The floor is open. The committee is open. Mr. Chairman. Senator toomey. If this is an appropriate time, i have filed three amendments. I intend not to ask for a vote on all three. The senator is recognized. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Let me address the first of the three amendments. This is an amendment that would precluld uranium enrichment on the part of the iranians. I wont ask for a vote but i think it is very important. Let me interrupt you, could we ask unanimous consent we dispense with the reading . I would ask unanimous consent. Is 6, 7, 8 to identify yes. Im referring to amendment number 6. Fundamentally, what this is about is the fact that if the only thing iran truly wants is the ability to generate electricity with uranium, they dont need the ability to enrich uranium. Thats, i think an indisputable fact. They are insisting having enrichment capability. That troubles me deeply. The worry is they have some other purpose. The obvious other purpose is to preserve the option to one day enrich to the level that will generate weapons grade uranium. And the distance between having a Nuclear Fuel Enrichment to weapons grade enrichment is not a great distance. Leaving that capability in place on any meaningful scale is i think, very dangerous and worrisome. What my amendment would say by the way it is the language of my amendment is drawn entirely from the kirkmanmenendez bill in the 113th congress. This is the language written into that legislation i supported and many of us supported. I think it was appropriate then and appropriate now. For a variety of reasons we wouldnt have the votes to pass it within this committee. Its an issue i intend to address on the floor and think its a very important one. I would ask unanimous consent to withdraw. Without objection. Id like to move to amendment toomey number 8 dispense with the reading. Its recognized. Thanks. Let me first start by commending senator corker who has been particularly, i think active advocating congress should have a role in a final resolution of this. I should also certainly give my Great Respect and congratulations to senators kirk and menendez for all the work theyve done to get us to where we are. What this amendment would do very simple. Simply states its the sense of congress any agreement that the president reaches should be voted on by congress. This is nonbinding. This does not specify the form the vote would take, whether be the negation or informative. Let me discuss why i think thats important. If an agreement is reached, the calendar is pretty clear, there will only be about 18 months left in this administration if and when such an agreement is reached. Obviously our National Security interests in ensuring iran not develop a Nuclear Weapon extends far beyond that. If congress doesnt have any manifested buyin on this agreement it raises the question how enduring it will be. I dont care we i dont think we should have any question about this. It should have very broad support of congress. We have voted on many Nuclear Agreements much of which in fact, i cant think of any as important as this one. If we have routinely voted on other matters of lesser import, i think we should have a vote on this. This amendment doesnt bind us on that doesnt specify the form it would take but does underscore a principal a strong enduring agreement needs to have the buyin of congress. I would urge my colleagues to endorse this simple amendment that establishes the sense of congress we ought to have a debate on any further agreement. Further debate. Roll call vote . Senator brown i oppose this amendment. It clear first of all, it clearly undermines negotiations. We know that. We also know the Political Climate in this country right now. We know the difficulty on issues that there used to be consensus on treaties on other issues on the senate floor have been so very very difficult. We know that our ne