On Friday the Senate is expected to vote on legislation passed Thursday by the House that would tighten U.S. sanctions on Iran and on our allies who trade with Iran. This legislation would undermine the negotiations with Iran that are currently taking place in Europe. Press reports have indicated that the talks in Europe could lead to more substantial negotiations between Iran and the United States. Such negotiations would be in the interest of the vast majority of Americans and Iranians who want peace.
But on Thursday, the House of Representatives passed new sanctions on Iran. The legislation was rushed through the House, with little time for debate.
The Senate is expected to consider the new sanctions bill, the “Iran Freedom Support Act,” H.R. 6198, on Friday. Given the chaos at the end of the Congressional session, these sanctions could be blocked, if enough of us contact our senators Friday.
Our interests would be best served by direct negotiations with the Iranian government, without preconditions. Ultimately the alternative to negotiations will be war, and the daily casualty reports from Iraq give us some idea of how destructive war with Iran would be.
Take Action:
Please write and call your two senators and ask them to oppose H.R. 6198, the “Iran Freedom Support Act.” You can write them using this link and you can call them through the Capitol switchboard at (202) 225-3121.
Robert Naiman is national coordinator of the D.C.-based advocacy group Just Foreign Policy.
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