Senate Republicans write a letter to Iran

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Who signed it "John Boy"?

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Goddamn. That's really something.

yeah, but is the smartwatch really worth the price?

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Except that it's the President that ratifies treaties, not the Senate.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Treaties.htm

It's hilarious that the Iranian foreign minister is better versed in American constitutional law than these flimwads.

A treaty cannot be ratified without the approval of two-thirds of the Senate is the relevant point.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Ok, well, it seems that Cotton has been the source of even weirder things from the House.  Apparently others have heard of this, but I didn't before today, so I'm posting it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/03/11/for-tom-cotton-letter-to-iran-is-anything-but-a-fiasco/

"While in the House in 2013, Cotton introduced an amendment to prosecute the relatives of those who violated sanctions on Iran, saying that his proposed penalties of up to 20 years in prison would 'include a spouse and any relative to the third degree,' including 'parents, children, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, grandparents, great grandparents, grandkids, great grandkids.' Forget about the fact that the Constitution expressly prohibits 'corruption of blood' penalties — just consider that Cotton wanted to take someone who had violated sanctions and imprison their grandchildren. Needless to say, this deranged piece of legislation was too much even for Republicans to stomach, and it went nowhere."

Cotton's amendment was intended that the relatives of the Iranian officials under sanctions to be under financial sanctions also, not that any family member would be imprisoned. Considering the US has at times placed entire countries under harsh sanctions for the sins of a few it's hardly unprecedented even if morally problematic.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

As I understand it, the text of Cotton's proposed amendment included prison sentences, which would presumably be given to non-citizen relatives of those found violating sanctions living in the U.S., as such sentences couldn't be imposed in Iran.  The sentences would be imposed "automatically" without investigation and extended to relatives of the third degree.  The text thus violated several provisions of the Constitution and SCOTUS decisions dating back to the late 19th century, which assure due process even to non-citizens.  This was pointed out to Cotton by fellow committee members at the markup meeting before he withdrew the amendment. 

Cotton claimed it did not establish any prison sentences, but I can't say for sure as I have not seen the text of the amendment.