Washington, D.C. – Alaskan Congressman Don Young today shared this statement following House passage of bipartisan legislation to mandate Congressional review of an Iran nuclear deal currently being negotiated by the Obama Administration. The legislation, which overwhelmingly passed 400-25, now moves to the President’s desk for his signature.
“Iran’s repeated human rights violations, sponsorship of terrorism and nuclear weapon ambitions continue to create an atmosphere of instability in the Middle East and throughout the world. Throughout this entire debate, my concerns have remained with Iran’s continued pursuit of a fully functional nuclear program, which has been confirmed by U.S. intelligence on a number of occasions.
“Without concrete and enforceable measures to dismantle Iran’s nuclear weapons infrastructure, including enrichment, heavy water, and reprocessing facilities, I don’t believe the United States should be taking steps to reduce sanctions against Iran. Any deal must stop Iran in their tracks and take them out of the driver’s seat to developing, building or acquiring a nuclear weapon, which means the inclusion of stringent transparency measures and compliance reviews. The broad-based sanctions currently in place have brought Iran to the negotiating table, and now we must hold their feet to the fire and demand a long list of requirements before any relief can be put in place.
“Passage of this important legislation, by nearly every member of Congress, proves that a majority of the American people believe negotiations with Iran must include the voice of Congress. As the body that set these sanctions in place, Congress must play an integral role in removing them.”
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