Believe It or Not, U.S. States Can Help Stop Iran in the Face of Obama Complicity

While there is never a replacement for fighting federal malfeasance at a federal level, there are often at least partial solutions at the state level. States might seem distant from the debate over Obama’s alliance with Iran, but they actually wield power over billions in assets and funds that could be used to indirectly thwart, at least in part, the Iran deal with the devil. States can fight back by divesting from companies that do business with Iran. Now is the time for these much-vaunted GOP governors, particularly those running for president, to step up to the plate.

In 2010, Congress passed the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act with near unanimous support and it was signed into law by President Obama. Section 202 of the bill explicitly grants states the authority to divest from companies that do business with Iran’s energy sector. Thirty states, beginning with Florida in 2007, passed some sort of divestment law banning state pension funds from being invested in companies that do any sort of business with Iran. With several trillion dollars of state and local pension funds at stake, this has been a serious leverage point against companies seeking to do business with Iran.

In addition to divesting from investments in these companies, 11 states have laws against entering into contracts with those companies and entities that do business with Iran, according data compiled by United Against Nuclear Iran.

Not only should these states continue their divestments even if Congress fails to block the deal, they should expand the sanctions.

Now is the time for presidential candidates like Chris Christie, John Kasich, Bobby Jindal, and Scott Walker to shine. Scott Walker especially has an opportunity to go on offense because Wisconsin has yet to pass anti-Iran legislation.

There are also a number of red states that currently have no divestment legislation where conservatives could easily mount an anti-Iran campaign. Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia are all good targets.

Part of what is fueling this rapid push to remove sanctions is that the global business community is hungry to do business with a large country that has been untapped. A strong message from the states would go a long way in disrupting their pursuit of appeasement and would help build momentum and outrage against the immoral alliance with Iran.

Obama and his allies will undoubtedly sue the states in court for thwarting new federal laws over international commerce. And indeed, section 25 of the deal (page 18) directs the federal government to “take appropriate steps” to ensure that states are not blocking implementation of sanctions relief. This provision is also in a 14-page draft resolution UN Ambassador Samantha Power plans to submit before the UN Security Council early next week. [As an aside, this is exactly the sort of anti-sovereignty language that conservatives fear in international agreements such as TPP and TISA.] But this is not federal law; it is an international treaty that is counter to federal laws on the books and can only be overturned via ratification with two-thirds support in the Senate. This deal will never be properly ratified, and is thereby null and void as it relates to existing federal sanctions and the ability of states to uphold federal law.

There is not much time for this to work. The Obama administration is acting with lightning speed to implement this colossal disaster. If there was ever an opportunity for governors to show some leadership, that time is now.

Any takers? (“How States Can Help Stop Iran”, originally posted HERE)

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