http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/04/22/reid_promises_swift_action_on_iran_sanctions_as_conference_begins

The House finally appointed conferees to meld the two already passed versions of the Iran sanctions bill and Congress is not waiting for the Obama administration to finish up with the UN track.

“We have waited long enough for diplomacy to work,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, said in a response to a question from The Cable at Thursday’s press conference on financial reform, adding, “Iran is a festering sore in the world.”

The House had not appointed conferees until just recently. They were accused of holding up the conference until the UN track had been exhausted, a charge chairman Howard Berman‘s office has denied.

Berman announced the House conferees today.

“Today marks a major step towards preventing Iran from acquiring the ability to produce nuclear weapons. Iran’s intentions are clear, and now is the time to implement crippling sanctions on this reckless regime,” he said in a statement, “We are moving forward to ensure that legislation enabling tough sanctions is on President Obama’s desk for his signature.”

The administration had been hoping that Congress would hold off on passing the conference report until it was able to get a new UN security council resolution authorizing new sanctions. The deadline for the UN track has slipped repeatedly and Reid was clear that he was no longer waiting for that process to play out.

Reid said he would bring the bill to the floor as soon as it comes out of conference and that he wants to see the conference finish up work “as soon as they can.”

Last week, over two thirds of the House and Senate signed a letter to president Obama urging him to impose “crippling sanctions” on Iran immediately.

The House conferees are Howard Berman, D-CA, Gary Ackerman, D-NY, Brad Sherman, D-CA, Jim Costa, D-CA, David Scott, D-GA, Joseph Crowley, D-NY, Ron Klein, D-FL, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-FL, Dan Burton, R-IN, Edward Royce, R-CA, Mike Pence, R-IN, Barney Frank, D-MA, Gregory Meeks, D-NY, Scott Garrett, R-NJ, Sander Levin, D-MI, John S. Tanner, D-TN and Dave Camp, R-MI.

The Senate conferees are Chris Dodd, D-CT, John Kerry, D-MA, Joe Lieberman, I-CT, Ro