Second Week in a Row: GOP Chooses Business over Stopping Iran

NJDC — November 3, 2011 – 9:44 pm | Foreign Policy | GOP Hypocrisies | Iran | Republicans Comments (3) Add a comment

This evening, as House Republicans rejected a key “motion to recommit” on H.R. 2930 (the Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act) that would have helped halt Iranian-linked businesses from raising American capital, National Jewish Democratic Council President and CEO David A. Harris said:

It’s astonishing; for the second week running, and on the very day that President Barack Obama amplified his message to the world that we must continue placing ‘unprecedented international pressure on Iran,’ the House GOP has chosen big business over stopping Iran—even as the House Democratic Caucus and the White House work to stop Iran.

Today, it was Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) taking the initiative to close a key loophole in the Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act to stop Iranian-tied businesses from raising U.S. capital. Yet this simple mechanism—at this crucial time, to help stop Iran—failed on a completely party-line vote, with the House GOP uniformly voting against. They literally chose big business over the critical need to extend Iran sanctions where possible.

Especially today—as President Obama is working to increase the pressure on Iran, and Democrats in Congress are doing all they can—it’s shocking to watch the House GOP vote this way and make such a choice, for the second time in as many weeks.

As we pointed out last week, when House Republicans reached across the aisle for help with passing sanctions in the past, almost 100 Democrats happily responded. Last week when Representative Ted Deutch (D-FL) worked on the floor of the House to help stop Iran, and now tonight when Representative Holt did the same, the House GOP unfortunately and unanimously said ‘no.’ NJDC implores House Republicans to reconsider their position on this paramount issue of our day.

Comments