U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) issued the following statement after voting to support a clean renewal of the Iran Sanctions Act that was passed by the House of Representatives.

“The outgoing administration has asked for a delay on renewing the Iran Sanctions Act which tells Americans once again that this president refuses to take our nation’s foreign policies seriously,” Luetkemeyer said. “This legislation targets entities that invest in Iran’s energy sector, the driving force behind its economy. I fully believe these sanctions must remain in place until we can verify that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States and her allies.”

This legislation reauthorizes the 1996 Iran Sanctions Act for 10 years, through Dec. 31, 2016. Under the Iran Sanctions Act, sanctions may be imposed against foreign companies or entities that invest in the development of Iran’s oil and gas industry. The Iran Sanctions Act is set to expire in December of this year.