Dear Colleagues,

Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) released a report providing confirmation that Iran is closing in on the capability to produce nuclear weapons. This report is a wake-up call that the United States must strengthen efforts to thwart Iran’s nuclear aspirations. 

The Iran Threat Reduction Act of 2011 (H.R. 1905), authored by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Ranking Member Howard Berman (D-CA), would add significant new sanctions to our diplomatic arsenal. The bipartisan legislation would impose tough new sanctions on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as mandate sanctions on Iran's Central Bank -- a key facilitator of Iran's nuclear weapons program. 

The bill would also, for the first time, enshrine in law that it is U.S. policy to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, would escalate the level of sanctions against the regime’s human rights violators, and tighten the enforcement of existing sanctions law.

H.R. 1905 is currently scheduled to come before the House for a vote tomorrow.  Therefore, we ask for your assistance with contacting your Representative to urge them to vote in favor of this bill when it comes to the floor of the House of Representatives tomorrow.

A. Enter your zip code on the top right of the following website to locate the name and phone number of your representative: http://www.house.gov

B. Call your Representative’s office and ask them to:

1. Cosponsor H.R. 1905, if they have not already done so
2. Vote for the bill when it comes to the House floor.

To view the text of this bill, please click here.  To view the list of Representatives who have already cosponsored this bill, please click here.

Key talking points:

• The IAEA report released in November makes clear that Iran's nuclear enrichment activities are not intended for peaceful purposes.  
• Once Iran possesses the capability to quickly produce nuclear weapons, it will likely be more aggressive in its support for terror and brutal in its repression of domestic dissent.
• Sanctions have helped disrupt Tehran’s nuclear program while making the regime face increasing costs for ignoring Iran’s international obligations. Nonetheless, most experts today believe that Iran is at most only one to two years away from a nuclear weapons capability.
• This new legislation will tighten sanctions on Iran’s financial system, on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and on Iranian violators of human rights.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact David Feinman, Senior Legislative Associate at david.feinman@jewishfederations.org or 202-736-5887 or Shelley Rood, Senior Legislative Associate at shelley.rood@jewishfederations.org or 202-736-5880.

William C. Daroff
Vice President for Public Policy
Director of Washington Office