By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
12/26/09 9:32 AM EST
The Democratic leadership in the Senate put off dealing with the growing threat of the Iranian nuclear program so lawmakers could devote their energy to the rush toward passage of a national health care bill. Now, with that work done, Senate leaders say they will take action on Iran -- but only, in the words of Majority Leader Harry Reid, "sometime after we return in January."
The Senate is following the House, which on December 15 overwhelmingly passed the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act. "Overwhelmingly" is no exaggeration: the vote was 412 to 12, a total including Democrats and Republicans in equal proportions. The Act calls for the U.S. to impose tough sanctions on companies that provide gasoline, diesel fuel, and other refined petroleum products to Iran. In doing so, it exploits a key Iranian weakness; while Iran is the fourth-largest oil producer in the world, it has little capacity to refine that oil into usable products, so it has to import gas to keep its economy going.
The House version of the Act begins with an extended rebuke of the Obama administration's Iran policy. Iran's nuclear program is "a serious threat to the security of the United States," the prologue says, and Iran "is not interested in a diplomatic resolution." The Act points out that in October 2008 then-senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama said petroleum sanctions might force Iran to change its ways. "If we can prevent them from importing the gasoline that they need and the refined petroleum products, that starts changing their cost-benefit analysis," Obama said. "That starts putting the squeeze on them." But so far, Obama has not acted on his own advice.
Just as in the House, a large majority of senators supports the bill. Despite that bipartisan approval, however, Reid moved the legislation to the end of the line while the Senate raced forward on national health care. Only on Christmas Eve, moments after the health care bill passed, did Reid discuss Iran on the Senate floor with two Democratic supporters, Sens. Chris Dodd and John Kerry.
"Tougher sanctions must be a key element of our comprehensive Iran strategy going forward," Dodd said. Action now is needed at this "pivotal" time, Dodd continued -- "when Iran's leaders continue to flaunt the will of the international community, trample on the rights of its own people, and threaten the national interests of the U.S. and our strongest allies, including Israel."
"I want everyone to know that I am committed to getting this legislation to the floor sometime after we return in January," Reid answered, without pledging to take up the bill at any particular time. Kerry stressed that it is important that "this legislation can be considered as soon as possible when we get back." But just when that will be is anybody's guess.
