Washington – Representatives in the U.S. House have sponsored legislation aimed at confronting the potentially mounting nuclear threat from Iran.

Known officially as H.Res. 1553, the legislation, sponsored and introduced by Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX), expresses support, “for the State of Israel’s right to defend Israeli sovereignty, to protect the lives and safety of the Israeli people, and to use all means necessary to confront and eliminate nuclear threats posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the use of military force if no other peaceful solution can be found within reasonable time to protect against such an immediate and existential threat to the State of Israel.” The bill has garnered 46 co-sponsors to date. When asked about his hopes for the resolution, Congressman Gohmert responded, “Those of us who have sponsored H.Res. 1553 are hoping that enough cosponsors will sign on to put pressure on the Speaker to bring it to the floor for a vote. The sanctions have not stopped and will not stop the centrifuges. Russia is still going to supply Iran with the most advanced anti-aircraft weaponry. Other nations continue to make agreements with Iran. Iran sees the U.S. as a paper tiger and it is time to correct this impression before they do something irrevocable and reprehensible.” Gohmert is a member of the newly-formed Tea Party caucus in the House as are several other co-sponsors of H.Res. 1553. Gohmert addressed suggestions that this bill is the Tea Party’s foray into foreign policy, saying, “The resolution has nothing to do with the Tea Party caucus, but does have everything to do with national and international security and stability. Members of the Tea Party caucus can and do speak for themselves, but most if not all members have strong beliefs that we should not turn on our backs on our best friends and reward those bent on our destruction. This resolution was borne out of concern for the threat, not merely to Israel, but also to the United States. News sources say that Iran may have enough material at this very moment for two nuclear weapons. How many nukes would it take to be an existential threat to the U.S.?” Another of the bill’s co-sponsors, Congressman John Culberson (R-TX) added, “Israel is a democratic nation and our closest ally, and it faces a perpetual security threat from its hostile neighbors. I believe that Israel has the sovereign right to confront any nuclear threats posed by Iran if peaceful solutions fail.” The resolution has critics on both the political right and left. In a post on Huffington Post, Jamal Abdi, Policy Director of the National Iranian American Council, reasserted the organization’s concerns over the measure and urged others sharing their concerns to call on House Republican Leader John Boehner to denounce the resolution. Abdi also cited a report from an Oxford Research Group warning that an Israeli attack would be disastrous, unlikely to stop Iran’s nuclear program and might instead serve as a catalyst for an even more aggressive pursuit to develop nuclear weapons on the part of Iran. From the right, the bill faces detractors who charge that the bill will not achieve any change in Iran policy but will drain the U.S. of additional monies and soldiers should it lead to another war in the region. H. Res. 1553 has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.