Political Quotes

“I wish to begin by taking a few moments to discuss the nuclear deal with Iran that was announced this morning. While I am still reviewing the intricacies of the deal, right now I am deeply skeptical that this agreement will prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The Obama administration appears to have capitulated on almost every redline it established at the outset, and I have strong doubts about whether the final provisions requiring inspections and curtailing enrichment and research and development are strong enough to be effective. Another significant concern is the fact that removal of sanctions will give Iran access to billions of dollars and other resources to fund its campaign for increased regional influence, which includes proxy wars and material support for terrorist organizations. In fact, if we look at almost anywhere in the Middle East, whether it is Hezbollah in Lebanon or Hamas in the Gaza Strip or the Houthis in Yemen or the Shia militias in Iraq, they all trace their lineage back to and are proxies for Iran. I am deeply concerned about the fact that the deal creates a timeline for lifting the embargo on conventional and ballistic weapons without requiring Iran to change its behavior in any meaningful way. Given that Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism and is already intervening in conflicts in the region, the last thing we should be doing is expanding Iran's access to weapons.…”