“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Iran nuclear agreement.” 

While there are many reasons to stand against this deal, it comes down to a fundamental reality: the Iranian nuclear agreement fails to achieve its critical objective: blocking all of Iran’s pathways to a nuclear weapon. In fact, this deal provides Iran with international endorsement of an industrial-scale nuclear weapons program.”

My Colleagues, we must not forget where we started: with the President declaring that Iran must never be allowed to achieve a nuclear weapons capability.” 

But to get from that point to where we are today, our negotiators had to make numerous and serious concessions on inspections and verification, Iran’s ballistic missile program and access to conventional weapons.”

Worse than that, Iran will be economically strengthened by early relief from sanctions – providing the Ayatollah with fresh resources with which to fund the Quds Forces and its global terrorism network.  Supporters of this agreement have proclaimed loudly that the only alternative to this agreement is war.   I reject that notion and predict that this deal will lead to more Iranian aggression in the Middle East.”   

For our part, the agreement talks about normalization of economic relations with Iran and states that the parties shall implement the agreement ‘in good faith . . . based on mutual respect.’”

But how can there be respect for a regime that actively instigates regional instability, publicly and constantly advocates for the destruction of the State of Israel, and uses the phrase "Death to America" as a mission statement?”

Mr. Speaker, the first responsibility of each Member of this House is to provide for our national defense – and that includes confronting the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.  If we fail to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon this year, next year or in the next decade, we will have allowed the weakening of that defense. And we will have failed our children and the world’s children.”

I sincerely regret that this vote has been characterized as a partisan measure.  It is not.  It is a vote of conscience far above and beyond politics.  And that’s why I will vote “No” on the motion to approve this disastrous agreement. “