US Congress edges toward massive China competition bill with votes on Iran, energy – By Reuters (J Post) / May 5, 2022
The US Congress edged closer on Wednesday toward completing a long-stalled bill authorizing hundreds of billions of dollars to boost the country’s ability to compete with Chinese technology, with Senate votes on motions addressing issues including energy policy and Iran sanctions.
Although the motions are not binding, they convey a sense of what senators would like to see in the final bill and what could keep it from getting enough votes to become law.
In one of an expected 28 votes, the Senate voted 86-12 – with strong bipartisan support – for a “motion to instruct” sponsored by Republican Senator Ted Cruz seeking a report on terrorism-related sanctions on Iran and saying such sanctions are necessary to limit cooperation between China and Iran.
If it became law, the provision could complicate delicate negotiations on the international Iran nuclear deal, although western officials have largely lost hope that the pact can be resurrected, four years after former Republican President Donald Trump abandoned it in 2018.
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