Austin News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, faced a setback early Saturday morning as his proposed amendment to prevent the Biden administration from providing Iran access to billions of dollars was defeated in a 51-47 vote.

In his statement, Sen. Cruz expressed his concerns about the administration's approach towards Iran, stating, "The Biden administration has a pathological obsession with boosting the Iranian regime and undermining Israel, and tonight Senate Democrats united to endorse that obsession. The administration has allowed over $100 billion to flow to the Ayatollah, including through waivers that give Iran access to tens of billions of dollars overseas."

Sen. Cruz highlighted the detrimental impact of funding Iran, pointing out that the money is used to support terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iraqi militias, which have been involved in acts of violence, including attacks against Americans. He emphasized, "Iran used and uses that money to fund Hamas, Hezbollah, Iraqi militias, and other terrorist groups. These groups commit mass murder, including against Americans."

The Senator lamented the defeat of his amendment, which aimed to prevent the renewal of waivers allowing Iran access to substantial funds. He criticized the Democrats for their decision to maintain these waivers, stating, "My amendment would have prevented renewing those waivers. Democrats voted to keep them in place."

Despite Sen. Cruz's efforts, the Senate ultimately voted against the proposed amendment, signaling a continuation of the current policies regarding Iran's access to funds.