[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H76]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      INTERIM AGREEMENT WITH IRAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, our interim agreement with Iran gives us 
an opportunity to unwind seemingly intractable, interrelated conflicts 
throughout the Middle East.
  There is no reason for Congress to complicate by further enhancing 
sanctions now that are already working. We have this 6 months to a year 
window to fashion a longer-term agreement. The fact that we are even 
talking with Iran is the most encouraging signal that we have seen in 
34 years. Let's use this diplomatic window. There are hard-liners in 
both countries, highly suspicious, very negative, who would like to 
blow this agreement up.
  Unless we are willing to invade and occupy Iran, even repeated 
bombing will delay the Iranian nuclear effort by, at best, 4 or 5 
years, maybe less.
  Americans have spent a trillion dollars, lost 4,000 American lives, 
with tens of thousands of wounded, in more than a decade in Iraq, and 
the country is still falling apart. Iran is bigger, stronger, and more 
sophisticated. I don't think you can sell that war to the American 
people.
  Congress should calm down and give diplomacy a chance. Let's learn 
about this important country, its 4,000-year history, and our past 
mistakes with Iran, and most important, our common interest.
  The Middle East has long been a simmering cauldron, with a conflict 
suppressed by a lid of repression held down by empire and colonial 
powers. That started to change a century ago with the collapse of the 
Ottoman Empire, and colonial powers trying from afar to influence human 
behavior by drawing lines on maps from European capitals, irrespective 
of religious, tribal, or ethnic realities. It set in motion a series of 
forces that are playing out today with tragic consequences.
  Iran as the dominant Shi'a force in the region could play a huge role 
where we share common interest, in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan for 
instance.
  The current situation is a result of partnerships between Congress 
and the Obama administration that got us to this point where Iran is 
willing to negotiate. Strong, effective sanctions would never have 
worked without careful, artful diplomacy that involved other countries 
like India to help us squeeze Iran. It has worked. Let's claim credit 
and move on to the next steps.
  We could start by trying to learn about each other. Let's promote an 
exchange between Iran and the United States with students, religious 
leaders, maybe even parliamentary members and Members of Congress. 
Let's focus on our shared interest, like Afghanistan, where we had 
earlier cooperation with Iran to help overthrow the Taliban. Let's work 
to make progress with the agreement and beyond.
  The Congress can do this most importantly by leaving it alone. 
Congress shouldn't meddle, Congress shouldn't muddle, Congress 
shouldn't give the Iranian hard-liners who don't want any agreement at 
all an excuse to scuttle it.
  We have an opportunity to improve the most volatile region in the 
world and Congress shouldn't blow that opportunity.

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