Iran: Can we find an offramp? June 24, 2019

When it was originally debated in Congress, PSR advocated for the Iran nuclear agreement (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). President Trump made a wrong turn when he unilaterally withdrew the United States from it. Now, unfortunately, the Trump administration is feeding the narrative of hardliners in Iran who are pushing to enrich more uranium than the JCPOA would allow. Aircraft carriers have been dispatched, new sanctions imposed, tankers have been attacked, a drone shot down, air strikes prepared then cancelled, centrifuges readied. We need an offramp to this path toward war.

The members of Congress that represent you can take action to help defuse this situation. On April 4, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) introduced S. 1039, Prevention of Unconstitutional War with Iran Act of 2019, and on April 24, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced a companion bill in the House, H.R. 2354. Udall’s bill has attracted 25 senate cosponsors, and Eshoo’s has attracted 71 representatives. Citizens are continuing to ask elected officials to apply brakes to war: since June 1, 4 senators have cosponsored S. 1039 and 26 representatives have signed onto H.R. 2354.

Congress will go on July 4 recess this Friday, June 28. Please get in touch with the local offices for your U.S. representative and senators. Visit PSR’s legislative tracker to find out if your representative and senators have cosponsored yet. If they have, thank them. If they have not, urge them to do so.

For more about Iran, see: