US President Barack Obama. (AP/Carolyn Kaster) (AP/Carolyn Kaster)
Obama

The US House of Representatives voted 245-186 to declare that the Obama administration has broken US law by not giving Congress access to the side agreements between the IAEA and Iran.

The House of Representatives is taking action against the Obama administration for failing to provide the texts of the side agreements between the IAEA and Iran, which is required under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.

Just two hours after the Senate moved to block a resolution of disapproval of the Iran nuclear deal, the House passed Resolution 411 by a vote of 245-186.

Members of Congress have expressed concern that they have not been allowed to see the text of the agreements between the IAEA and Iran governing the protocols for nuclear inspections.

Indeed, the Obama administration itself has not seen these agreements, and is only aware of their general content. Some concerning details have emerged, such as that Iran will be responsible for collecting soil samples for testing by the IAEA. At the same time, Iranian leaders have been emphatic that they will not give inspectors access to conventional military sites where nuclear activity is suspected of taking place.

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“President Obama broke the very law he signed by failing to provide Congress with the Iran-IAEA side agreements,” said Rep. Peter Roskam following the vote. “Withholding these documents from the American people and their elected representatives completely discredits the transparent review process the administration was legally obligated to provide. In light of this vote, I believe the House should pursue legal action against the administration for its blatant disregard for the law.”

GOP Iran deal

Rep. Peter Roskam. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Resolution 411 prohibits the House Parliamentarian from recognizing the start of the 60-day Congressional review period for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the P5+1 until the Obama administration provides the texts of the IAEA-Iran agreements. Under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, the Obama administration must provide the texts of all “side agreements” related to the nuclear deal to Congress.

The administration argues that the IAEA-Iran agreements are not “side agreements,” and that it is standard protocol for the agreements governing nuclear inspections to remain secret between the IAEA and the countries under inspection. White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said Thursday, “We’ve been clear that the documentation [given to Congress] included all the documentation that was in the possession of the United States government.”

By: Sara Abramowicz, United with Israel