Sen. Joni Ernst hails ‘wonderfully bipartisan’ vote on Iran sanctions

CEDAR RAPIDS, Sioux City Journal, 15 Jun 2017- Senators voted 98-2 Thursday to add financial sanctions on Russia and Iran to send a message that the United States will not tolerate their sponsorship of terrorism and meddling in other nations’ internal affairs, Sen. Joni Ernst the Iowa Republican told reporters Thursday during her weekly conference call.
The legislation called for sanctions on Iran, which Ernst said continues “to be the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism around the globe.”
Through an amendment, senators added the Russia sanctions, to add weight to their concerns over Russia’s support of the “murderous Syrian regime,” military intrusion in Ukraine and “malicious” cyber activity, Ernst said.
It’s also a response to Russian attempts to interfere in the U.S. electoral process, she added.
“So we are trying to show some strength and send a clear message to Iran and Russia that they cannot do these types of actions,” Ernst said.
The “wonderfully bipartisan” vote is an example of how senators can work together to get things done despite divisions on overarching political and philosophical issues such as health care and tax reform, Ernst said.