Released by United States Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana – October 31, 2023
WASHINGTON – United States Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released the following statement after voting against former U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew’s nomination to become U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Lew was one of the lead architects of the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal, which Cassidy has repeatedly condemned as dangerous.
“Jack Lew lied to Congress about the Iran deal. This has been well documented by a report by Rob Portman. How can Congress trust him to do the right thing?” said Dr. Cassidy. “If you lose our trust, there is no reason for us to trust you again.”
Background
In 2018, former Senator Rob Portman issued a report accusing Lew of lying to Congress and the American public after pledging that Iran would not be able to use the U.S. financial system to convert billions of dollars in assets into U.S. dollars. The report found that Lew had granted Iran “license” to access the U.S. financial system despite his claims. According to the report, the transactions were stopped only because U.S. banks refused to follow the Obama administration’s request due to legal and reputational objections.
Additionally, Cassidy introduced a bill earlier this year to prohibit the Biden administration from waiving Congressional sanctions aimed at stifling Iran’s nuclear program. The sanctions relief was part of the overly generous Iran Nuclear deal, which the Biden administration is working to revive.
