Dems pitch 'Helsinki' committee on Iran

By Curt Mills, Curt Mills

Published December 20, 2015

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and several other Democrats introduced legislation this month to establish what they say would be a 'Helsinki-Style' commission to oversee the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPCOA), commonly known as the controversial Iranian nuclear deal.

The Helsinki Commission was meant to monitor and encourage the implementation of the Helsinki Final Act, a Cold War measure aimed at thawing relations between the U.S. and Soviet Union in the Nixon-Ford era of "detente."

While Connolly and most other Democrats support the Iran agreement, they also think a similar commission would help ensure compliance with the agreement aimed at paring back Iran's nuclear program.

"There is a common goal of a non-nuclear Iran," Connolly told the Washington Examiner. "We have supporters and opponents of this deal sponsoring this legislation. Helsinki was a commission that provided lots of support for dissenters and pressure on authoritarian governments."

"However, we don't want this to be an excuse for bashing the deal," he said.