Trump Decertifies Iran Deal

Below are statements about Trump's decision to decertify the Iran nuclear deal from House members:

Rodney Davis (R-IL, 13th)

“In 1994, President Clinton made this promise to the American people of his nuclear deal with North Korea, ‘They will freeze and then dismantle their nuclear program. Our other allies will be better protected. The entire world will be safer as we slow the spread of nuclear weapons… The United States and international inspectors will carefully monitor them to make sure it keeps its commitments.’

“Today, we’ve seen the impact this deal has had. North Korea is estimated to have anywhere from 10 to 20 nuclear weapons and we’ve seen by recent aggressions their willingness to use them against the U.S.

“In 2015, the Obama Administration took the same naive approach, but this time, with the world’s largest state sponsor of terror. Concession after concession by the U.S. led to an unverifiable and unenforceable deal that gave Iran an influx of cash and other economic resources to put towards terrorism and their nuclear program.

“In response to bipartisan concerns about the deal, Congress passed the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act in 2015 by a vote of 400-25 to put further oversight over Iran and expedite Congress’ ability to restore sanctions if they do not comply. I’m glad President Trump has decided to reevaluate this dangerous deal and work with Congress to prevent a repeat of North Korea.”

Ron DeSantis (R-FL, 6th)

"President Trump made the right decision in refusing to certify the Iran deal under domestic law. Iran has violated the deal and it’s clear that the deal is not in the vital national security interests of the United States. More work needs to be done to put Iran back in a box, but sanctioning the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror group is a major step in the right direction and will do much to stymie Iran's pursuit of cash to fuel its malignant activities."

Daniel Donovan (R-NY, 11th)

“Years of appeasement have emboldened the Iranian regime, which continues to pursue the use of ballistic missiles, support terrorists, and carry out horrific human rights violations. Today, President Trump made it clear that the U.S. will no longer tolerate these aggressive actions. I fully support the Administration’s new comprehensive strategy to reassert American leadership and hold Iran accountable for its destabilizing behavior. Putting America first means taking actions – like those outlined in today’s speech – to ensure U.S. national security interests abroad. I look forward to working with the Trump Administration to counter all Iranian threats.”

Eliot Engel (D-NY, 16th)

“Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. To ensure that, we must strictly enforce the nuclear deal, work to lengthen its sunset provisions, and hold Iran's feet to the fire on the regime's other bad behavior.

“The President’s plan doesn't make sense. Negotiating additional terms to the nuclear deal requires a coalition of international partners, not unilateral congressional action. And while we must crack down on Iran's other destabilizing actions—ballistic-missile development, sponsorship of terrorism, human-rights abuses, and support for the Assad Regime—Congress already passed tough sanctions against Iran, Russia, and North Korea last August, which the President grudgingly signed. But the Administration seems unwilling to enforce this new law.

“Failing to certify the deal is a risky gamble. It’s the first step toward withdrawing from the agreement keeping Iran from building the bomb. Our allies and adversaries alike will see this as a signal that the United States doesn't live up to our commitments, making the United States a source of uncertainty instead of a force for solving serious problems. I have to ask: what major power will trust our word on potential North Korean nuclear negotiations, given how Trump is undermining the agreement with Iran?

“Iran is a threat to global security. We need a smart strategy that builds an agenda with partners around the world. Instead, the President has offered a confused approach that harms American leadership and threatens international stability.”

Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA, 18th)

“When the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the Iran Deal, formally took effect on ‘Adoption Day’ two years ago, the world was only 90 days away from Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. The JCPOA halted Iran’s pursuit to becoming a nuclear state. It brought unprecedented concessions from the Iranians, together with the most rigorous inspections, restrictions and verifications ever negotiated. Since its implementation in January 2016, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has certified Iran’s compliance with the agreement eight times and the Trump Administration has already certified Iran’s compliance twice.

“The President’s refusal today to certify the JCPOA is the first step in unraveling the entire agreement. Threatening our relationship with our allies while also giving Iran the green light to resume their nuclear capabilities simply to fulfill a campaign promise could lead to another war in the Middle East and further the abdication of American leadership.

“Two years ago, I warned my colleagues in Congress that abandoning this agreement would make the United States seem feckless, a nation whose word cannot be trusted by our international partners. The President’s decision today weakens our global leadership and escalates tensions in Iran.”

Adrianno Espaillat (D-NY, 13th)

“President Trump’s decision to decertify Iran's compliance with the JCPOA isolates America from our international partners China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU) that stood with us in the decision to ensure the parameters of Iran’s nuclear program,” said Rep. Espaillat.

“The Iran nuclear deal is nowhere near perfect, and there are areas that can be improved regarding activities by the Iranian government. Yet, the United Nations, the U.S. Department of State, and our nation’s intelligence community have broadly acknowledged that Iran is continuing to uphold its obligations under the agreement.

“Today’s decision by the Trump Administration to decertify the program absent any credible breach, is not only reckless, but puts our national security at risk and jeopardizes our national standing with our allies around the world.

“As a member of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, I remain committed to working with my colleagues to explore greater diplomatic approaches with our international partners to put forth parameters on Iran in the best interest of our nation.”

Mike Doyle (D-PA, 14th)

I am extremely disappointed in President Trump’s decision to declare that Iran is not in compliance with the JCPOA (Iran Nuclear Deal). Under law, the President is required to provide Congress with evidence that Iran is non-compliant. No such evidence has been provided to Congress to-date.

This decision by the President goes against the advice of experts around the world and within his own Cabinet, and is intended only to fulfill an unwise campaign promise; this should not be the way that our foreign affairs are conducted.

By declaring that Iran is no longer in compliance, Congress now has 60 days to decide whether to re-impose sanctions that were suspended under the deal. I hope that Congress will act wisely, and not re-impose sanctions without cause.

Regardless, I am concerned that today’s decision will have grave effects beyond sanctions. Our allies around the world have shown no signs of ending the agreement, making any attempt to ‘tear up the deal’ or impose sanctions meaningless. By walking away from this agreement, President Trump may once again reduce America’s credibility with our allies, embolden Iran, hurt America’s economy, and threaten our national security. It also weakens our position to try and diplomatically defuse the growing crisis in North Korea.

I had hoped that President Trump would not gamble so recklessly with America’s foreign policy, but once again I am disappointed.

Keith Ellison (D-MN, 5th)

“The Iran nuclear deal was a historic diplomatic achievement and the President’s reckless decision to decertify it moves the United States closer to military confrontation while isolating us from our partners and allies. Make no mistake: despite what President Trump says, this decision isn’t about making people safer — it’s about playing politics with national security, and appealing to a hard-right fringe that thinks the only way to achieve peace is to drop more bombs in the Middle East.

Today’s announcement is yet another in a recent string of moves by the Trump administration that are more about scoring political points than actually helping Americans. Whether it’s repealing the Clean Power Plan to keep money in the pockets of coal industry friends, or trying to take away health insurance from millions of Americans, Trump’s proven he isn’t motivated by a desire to help people — he’s just dead set on dismantling anything President Obama accomplished.”


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