SR0292 LRB096 12999 GRL 27137 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The nation of Iran has continued to pursue nuclear
3 technology, even in the face of international condemnation and
4 economic sanctions; and
 
5     WHEREAS, President Barack Obama has repeatedly expressed
6 interest in using Iran's dependence on gasoline imports as a
7 point of leverage in the dispute over Iran's nuclear ambitions;
8 Iran imports approximately 40% of its refined petroleum, giving
9 any petroleum sanctions a significant economic effect on the
10 Iranian economy; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The President's authority to initiate these
12 sanctions is ambiguous under current United States law, making
13 such leverage hard to attain; and
 
14     WHEREAS, The Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act (IRPSA),
15 introduced in the United States Senate by Senators Evan Bayh
16 (D-IN) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and in the United States House of
17 Representatives by Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA) and
18 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), would amend the Iran Sanctions Act
19 of 1996 to authorize the President to impose sanctions on any
20 entity that provides Iran with refined petroleum resources or
21 engages in activity that could contribute to Iran's ability to
22 import such resources; the Act also prevents such entities from

 

 

SR0292 - 2 - LRB096 12999 GRL 27137 r

1 doing business in the United States and prescribes more
2 powerful sanctions for violators of the Act; and
 
3     WHEREAS, IRPSA would have a great effect upon Iran, forcing
4 the nation to make a choice between suspending its nuclear
5 activities and beginning substantial dialogue or risk economic
6 ruin for its actions; therefore, be it
 
7     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
8 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Congress to
9 pass the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act in order to grant
10 the President the necessary powers to create petroleum
11 sanctions against Iran for its nuclear ambitions; and be it
12 further
 
13     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
14 presented to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United
15 States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority
16 Leaders of the United States Senate, and the members of the
17 Illinois congressional delegation.