On the recordApril 1, 2014
There is an issue facing this country that needs to be addressed firmly and decisively. I am encouraged there is a bipartisan effort to deal with this issue, and the issue is very simple. The person who has been nominated to be the U.N. Ambassador for Iran is a gentleman who participated in the takeover of our Embassy in Tehran, holding hostage 52 U.S. personnel for 444 days. This is a slap in the face by the Iranian Government to the American people, to the hostages, and it should not be allowed to stand. Senator Cruz, I believe, will be offering a unanimous consent request potentially dealing with this issue, but I just wanted to rise for a few minutes and speak in support of what he is trying to accomplish in the Senate. I am somewhat encouraged that there is a bipartisan effort forming among our intel folks to deal with this affront to the American people, to all those held hostage, and basically to human dignity. The idea that the Iranians would be appointing someone connected in such an apparently direct way with the Embassy takeover back in 1979 to represent their nation in the U.N. tells us all we need to know about Iran. This hardline-moderate divide doesn't exist. This is all a game. President Ruhani, when he was the nuclear negotiator for Iran, bragged about how much progress they made when the heat was off. If he were truly moderate he wouldn't have been on the ballot and wouldn't be serving today at the pleasure of the Ayatollah.…
Source
govinfo.gov




