Some Republicans Unhappy with Iran Nuclear Agreement
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Credit: Architect of the Capitol(WASHINGTON) — Despite Thursday’s announcement of a historic agreement in the Iranian nuclear negotiations, Republican leaders are unhappy with the agreement, noting “dangerous concessions.”
“There was no deal or framework announced today,” said Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton. “There was only a list of very dangerous U.S. concessions that will put Iran on the path to a nuclear weapon, whether they follow the terms announced or whether they violate the terms announced.” Thursday’s announcement, he told ABC News, was proof that President Obama is “willing to accept a bad deal.”
“I want a negotiated settlement like most Americans do,” Cotton said, “but I want to negotiate from a position of strength and reach the only acceptable outcome, Iran’s nuclear disarmament.”
Cotton became a household name when he led 47 Republican senators in sending a letter to the Iranian government warning that a deal that didn’t meet Congress’ standards could be undone once Obama leaves office.
Cotton told ABC News Thursday that he hopes to work with colleagues from both parties “to stop this deal from going forward, to keep America safe, and to prevent a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.”
Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., also spoke out against the agreement, remarking during a phone interview with Politico that “Neville Chamberlain got a lot more out of Hitler than Wendy Sherman got out of Iran.” The comment referenced both the British strategy of appeasement that led to World War II and a top U.S. State Department official who negotiated the Iran deal.
On Wednesday, Kirk tweeted that the Obama administration had made “dangerous concessions to Iran” and that “without a good deal, we pave Iran’s path to nuclear weapons and the potential for an arms race in the Middle East.”
In the last week, the Administration has made a # of dangerous concessions to #iran and gotten nothing in return. http://t.co/qf9Cvd4UNU
— Mark Kirk (@SenatorKirk) April 1, 2015
Without a good deal, we pave Iran’s path to nuclear weapons and the potential for an arms race in the Middle East.
— Mark Kirk (@SenatorKirk) April 1, 2015
Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said that Congress needs to “be careful not to scuttle the opportunity for a diplomatic resolution.”
“The last thing we want is for the international community to think that we came this close to a negotiated end to Iran’s nuclear program and the United States Congress got in the way,” he told ABC News.
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