(Thomas Mitchell) – Predictably, Nevada’s Washington delegation is toeing the party on Obama’s ill-advised Iran deal that has already been approved by the U.S. Security Council.
Sen. Dean Heller was perhaps the most cautious on the GOP side.
“I have some serious reservations regarding the deal reached on Iran’s nuclear program and will review it carefully, as will the public. For more than three decades, America has stood up against Iran and implemented sanctions enacted by Congress to prevent them from further developing a nuclear weapon. Yet, this work may be unraveled by an agreement that crosses red lines the U.S. had previously set, putting our nation and its allies like Israel at risk,” said Heller. “I’m sure this is a proud day for the Iranian negotiators. The leadership our nation now needs is for Congress to act decisively in the review process to ensure we are doing everything within our power to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability.”
Rep. Cresent Hardy said, “Iran’s open threats to neighbors like Israel, its government sponsorship of terror around the world, and the confirmed killing of hundreds of U.S. soldiers are all reasons to question their long-term intentions.
“If initial reports are true: This agreement would provide billions of dollars in sanctions relief and only delay Iran’s breakout time to a nuclear bomb by a matter of months. The President can claim a victory with this deal – but it is a hollow one. Simply extending the time it takes for Iran to get a bomb still creates a future where Iran has a bomb.”
Rep. Joe Heck, who is running for Harry Reid’s Senate seat, said, “My initial concerns with the deal stem from the fact that we caved on anytime-anywhere nuclear site inspections, even giving Iran a say in which sites get inspected, and that the deal lifts the conventional arms embargo on Iran. According to reports, Russia and China were the two biggest proponents of lifting that embargo, no doubt to pursue their own nefarious purposes and regional ambitions.
“One thing this deal will not change is Iran’s continued sponsorship of terrorist groups in the Middle East and their influence peddling in Iraq. Those aren’t qualities I look for in a partner on an agreement over nuclear weapons development. In the past Iran has not adhered to international norms and obligations when it comes to their nuclear program, and so Congress now has a chance to review this deal and every aspect of this agreement.”
Rep. Mark Amodei told a television station, “We’re not making the middle east a safer place when you have the Saudis band the Israelis and the Jordanians wondering what Iran will do with that stuff. I think we instead should stay the course with the sanctions and say no,you cannot do this.”
Reid as usual played Democratic politics instead instead of looking out for the safety of the country, saying, “Today’s historic accord is the result of years of hard work by President Barack Obama and his administration. The world community agrees that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable and a threat to our national security, the safety of Israel and the stability of the Middle East. Now it is incumbent on Congress to review this agreement with the thoughtful, level-headed process an agreement of this magnitude deserves.”
Rep. Dina Titus did not agree, “With the announcement today of an agreement with Iran, I stand strong in the belief that no deal is better than a bad deal and a nuclear-armed Iran is simply unacceptable.”
Her predecessor in the 1st Congressional District, Shelley Berkley, penned an op-ed Sunday calling on Congress to reject the deal.
“In the final analysis, then, President Obama couldn‘t bring home a good deal, nor could he bring himself to walk away. The consequence is a deal that will give Iran billions of dollars in cash and relief to fuel its terror and war machines, shred the hard-won sanctions and enable the Iranians to get away with hiding the full extent of their nuclear work, infrastructure and know-how,” Berkley wrote.
“Don‘t be fooled, either, by the claim that the Iranians will pump $150 billion of promised sanctions relief into their ailing economy. Much, even most, of that windfall will be spent on Iranian terror operations in Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, as well as on prolonging the brutal Assad dictatorship in Syria, which has become a full-fledged tool of Iran. At the end of June, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced that the forthcoming year‘s defense budget would be increased by a colossal 32.5 percent. The regime is committed to war and conflict, not peace and stability.”
Reid stands alone with smelly deal.
Mr. Mitchell publishes the 4TH ST8 Blog at www.4thst8.wordpress.com.
This column was originally published on Mr. Mitchell’s blog.
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