{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=DCF43353-73C3-42F8-B1E1-B120128EC3BD", "McConnell on the Extension of the Iran Sanctions Act", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor today regarding extending sanctions against Iran:\r\n\u201cIn just a moment Senators will have a chance to pass the Iran sanctions extension bill that recently passed the House overwhelmingly.\r\n\u201cPreserving these sanctions is critical given Iran\u2019s disturbing pattern of aggression and its persistent efforts to expand its sphere of influence across the Middle East.\r\n\u201cThis is all the more important given how the Administration has ignored Iran\u2019s overall efforts to upset the balance of power in the greater Middle East, and how it has been held hostage by Iran\u2019s threats to withdraw from the nuclear agreement.\r\n\u201cThe authorities extended by this bill give us some of the tools needed to impose sanctions if necessary to hold Iran accountable and help keep Americans safer from this threat.\r\n\u201cI expect that next year the new Congress and new Administration will undertake a review of our overall policy toward Iran, and these authorities should remain in place as we address how best to deal with Iranian missile tests, support to Hezbollah and the Syrian regime.\r\n\u201cAs we come to the end of the year and of this Congress, we will continue in our efforts to complete the business before us.\r\n\u201cMembers have been working diligently on their respective conference committees to conclude the outstanding conference reports on the defense authorization bill, the waterways infrastructure and resources bill, and the energy policy modernization bill.\r\n\u201cI look forward to the full Senate taking up those measures as they are available so that we can pass final legislation to be signed into law.\r\n\u201cIn the coming days, the Senate will also consider a critical and bipartisan medical innovation bill, known as 21st Century Cures, as well as a continuing resolution to keep the government funded and carry us into the spring.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov//public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=DCF43353-73C3-42F8-B1E1-B120128EC3BD"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4808238483965397, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}