[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 74 (Thursday, May 14, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H2966-H2967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT REVIEW ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Dold) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the 
Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. While I wish it were stronger, it 
does force the administration to bring it before this body to review 
any deal. Last week, I traveled to Israel on a weeklong mission to 
strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and convey the message that we 
stand with our Israeli partners on the security challenges that are in 
front of us.
  The threat posed by Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon was at the 
forefront of literally everyone's mind. The Israeli leaders that I met 
with, individuals across the political spectrum, all reiterated what I 
have said all along: concern about the direction of the P5+1 nuclear 
talks with Iran is not--I repeat, is not--a partisan issue. In fact, 
there was multipartisan support and appreciation in Israel for Prime 
Minister Netanyahu's outspoken opposition to a bad deal.
  Mr. Speaker, this is not just an American and an Israeli issue. A 
nuclear Iran threatens the Middle East, and, I would argue, the entire 
world.
  Our allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council are also skeptical of the 
deal taking shape. The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and the 
United Arab Emirates have made their displeasure known by choosing to 
skip the President's Camp David summit this week.
  Saudi Arabia, already fighting a proxy war with Iran in Yemen, will 
not sit idly by if we agree to a deal that legitimizes Iran as a 
nuclear threshold state. The last thing anyone in the P5+1 wants is a 
nuclear arms race further destabilizing the Middle East and, I believe, 
increasing the chance of a nuclear war.
  Mr. Speaker, I implore my colleagues to vote in favor of this 
important legislation today to ensure that the American people have a 
say in any final agreement with Iran.
  The legislation today guarantees that Congress will have an up-or-
down vote on the future of any deal. It is that vote--the one which 
will occur after a deal is reached--that will be the pivotal moment in 
our efforts to stop Iran's nuclear program. That will be the vote that 
decides whether Iran has an internationally accepted and legitimized 
path to a bomb or whether we will hold the administration accountable 
to its assertion that no deal is better than a bad deal.
  Looking ahead to that vote, we must withstand the pressure and 
unequivocally reject any deal that leaves intact Iran's nuclear 
infrastructure; cements Iran's position as a nuclear threshold state; 
unwinds the sanctions architecture, giving Iran an infusion of 
literally billions of dollars that it will use to finance terror 
against Israel and around the globe; and legitimizes a sure-to-fail 
inspection regime that falls short of ``anytime, anywhere'' 
inspections. Mr. Speaker, we must not be fooled into false choices, and 
Iran must not be left with any path to a nuclear weapon.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to highlight something very concerning 
related to Syria which, I believe, has significant implications for any 
Iran agreement. Recent reports indicate a clear violation of the deal 
that this administration struck with Bashar al-Assad 2 years ago to 
remove chemical weapons from Syria. Unfortunately, these serious 
violations are not receiving the attention and scrutiny they deserve. 
According to reports, an international monitoring body found traces of 
chemical weapons in Syria and reported this breach to the 
administration earlier this year.
  Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford is quoted as saying: 
``The Syrian revelations shouldn't be a surprise given the regime's 
track record. It is a violation of the deal we struck with the 
Russians, and it is a violation of the deal the Syrian regime struck 
with the U.N.''
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot let history repeat itself with a bad deal with 
Iran. This deal, if done incorrectly, has far-reaching implications not 
just for the United States, Israel, and our allies, but for the world 
and future generations.
  I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the legislation coming 
before this body today so that we can give the American people an 
opportunity to review what the deal is and have an opportunity to vote 
``yes'' or ``no'' based upon what is in this agreement.
  Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. I strongly support the Iran Nuclear 
Agreement Review Act, and encourage my colleagues to join me in voting 
yes later today.
  I am extremely skeptical of the framework agreement released in April 
because, as written, I believe it will legitimize Iran's status as a 
nuclear threshold state. This is unacceptable, and we should not 
support any deal that permits this.

[[Page H2967]]

  The American people deserve a voice on this critical matter of 
national security, and Congress must have the opportunity to take an 
up-or-down vote on any final deal.

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