Sanctions are having an impact on Iran. Foreign energy companies have backed away from major investments in Iran because of the risk of sanctions and banks have stopped issuing letters of credit to companies seeking to do business with Iran.

However, more must be done as Iran continues to perfect its uranium enrichment capabilities and could have a nuclear weapons capability as soon as the end of next year.

The resolution calls for an international effort to use economic and political pressure on Iran to end its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The resolution specifically states nothing in it should "be construed as an authorization of the use of force against Iran." In fact, the best way to avoid the need for military action is by imposing tough sanctions now.

The resolution notes one important tool—among others—that can be used to pressure the regime is an international campaign to end the sale of refined petroleum products to Iran, which imports 40 percent of its gasoline and diesel fuel.

The resolution contemplates an international ban on the sale of refined petroleum products to Iran, potentially through such institutions as the UN and EU. It does not call for a naval "blockade" or international "embargo."

In furtherance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1803, this resolution calls on the president to seek more stringent international inspections of persons, vehicles and cargo entering or departing Iran as a way to ensure no prohibited nuclear-related or "dual-use" technology, material or equipment is entering or leaving Iran.

This step, like the petroleum export ban, neither mandates nor requires a naval blockade to implement. The inspections could be conducted at ports of embarkation and disembarkation, not by blockade. For example, in the U.S., these inspections would be performed on U.S. soil, or in U.S. waters by the Department of Homeland Security, not the U.S. military.

CURRENT HOUSE COSPONSORS (246)

Alabama: Bonner, Davis, Rogers
Alaska: Young
Arizona: Franks, Giffords, Mitchell, Pastor, Renzi, Shadegg
Arkansas: Berry, Boozman, Ross
California: Baca, Bilbray, Calvert, Campbell, Cardoza, Costa, Dreier, Filner, Gallegly, Harman, Issa, Gary Miller, Nunes, Radanovich, Rohrabacher, Royce, Loretta Sanchez, Schiff, Sherman, Speier, Thompson, Waxman
Colorado: Lamborn, Musgrave, Salazar, Tancredo, Udall
Connecticut: Courtney, Shays
Florida: Bilirakis, Boyd, Brown, Brown-Waite, Buchanan, Castor, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Feeney, Hastings, Klein, Mack, Mahoney, Meek, Putnam, Ros-Lehtinen, Stearns, Wasserman Schultz, Wexler
Georgia: Barrow, Bishop, Broun, Gingrey, Johnson, Kingston, Lewis, Linder, Marshall, Price, Scott, Westmoreland
Idaho: Sali, Simpson
Illinois: Bean, Costello, Davis, Emanuel, Hare, Jackson, Johnson, Kirk, Lipinski, Manzullo, Roskam, Schakowsky, Shimkus, Weller
Indiana: Burton, Pence, Souder, Visclosky
Iowa: King, Latham
Kansas: Moran
Louisiana: Alexander, Cazayoux, Scalise
Massachusetts: Frank
Maryland: Bartlett, Hoyer, Ruppersberger, Sarbanes, Van Hollen
Maine: Michaud
Michigan: Camp, Hoekstra, Knollenberg, McCotter, Miller, Rogers, Walberg
Minnesota: Bachmann, Kline, Ramstad
Mississippi: Childers, Thompson
Missouri: Akin, Carnahan, Cleaver, Emerson, Graves
Montana: Rehberg
Nebraska: Fortenberry, Smith, Terry
Nevada: Berkley, Heller, Porter
New Hampshire: Hodes
New Jersey: Ferguson, Frelinghuysen, Garrett, LoBiondo, Pallone, Rothman, Saxton, Sires, Smith
New York: Ackerman, Arcuri, Bishop, Crowley, Engel, Fossella, Gillibrand, Higgins, King, Kuhl, Lowey, Maloney, McCarthy, McHugh, McNulty, Reynolds, Slaughter, Towns, Weiner
North Carolina: Coble, Foxx, Hayes, McHenry, McIntyre, Miller, Myrick, Shuler
Ohio: Chabot, Jordan, LaTourette, Ryan, Schmidt, Space, Sutton, Tiberi, Tubbs-Jones, Wilson
Oklahoma: Boren, Cole, Fallin, Lucas, Sullivan
Oregon: Walden
Pennsylvania: Altmire, Brady, Carney, Dent, Doyle, Gerlach, Holden, Patrick Murphy, Tim Murphy, Platts, Schwartz, Sestak, Shuster
Puerto Rico: Fortuno
Rhode Island: Kennedy, Langevin
South Carolina: Barrett, Inglis, Wilson
South Dakota: Herseth Sandlin
Tennessee: Blackburn, Cooper, David Davis, Lincoln Davis, Gordon, Wamp
Texas: Burgess, Conaway, Cuellar, Culberson, Edwards, Gohmert, Gonzalez, Granger, Al Green, Gene Green, Hall, Hensarling, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Sam Johnson, Lampson, Marchant, McCaul, Poe, Rodriguez, Sessions
Utah: Bishop, Cannon, Matheson
Virginia: Cantor, Drake, Goode, Goodlatte, Wittman
Washington: Dicks, Hastings, Reichert, Smith
West Virginia: Moore Capito
Wisconsin: Kagen, Kind, Ryan
Wyoming: Cubin