Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I yield myself 2 minutes. I would like to discuss an amendment to come up in a future en bloc package. I joined a vast array of foreign policy experts and retired generals--and even Israel's own nuclear commission--in supporting the nuclear deal with Iran because, although it was an imperfect deal, nobody could articulate a better pathway to a better deal to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The nuclear deal, however, is only that--a nuclear deal. As when President Reagan was negotiating nuclear deals with the Soviets, we make these agreements with our enemies, not with our friends, and we must not forget that Iran remains opposed to us in a vast array of other ways. As with the Soviets, enforcement of the deal requires continued vigilance. My amendment would require the President to notify Congress whenever Iran conducts a ballistic missile launch and inform Congress as to the actions the President will take in response, including diplomatic efforts to pursue additional sanctions and the passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution. While we have been successful in deterring Iran from building a nuclear weapon with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, we must continue to apply pressure to deter further actions that destabilize this fragile region and threaten our allies. I urge a ``yes'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time.”