[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 102 (Wednesday, June 24, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H4598]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NUCLEAR DEAL WITH IRAN
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West
Virginia (Mr. Mooney) for 5 minutes.
Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, the single greatest threat
to the national security of the United States is Iran's drive for
nuclear weapons. The result of the negotiations being conducted by
President Obama and our Western allies will shape the long-term
security and stability of the United States for years to come.
Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terror, a stronghold for
terrorists whose very mission is to spread oppression. Iranian leaders
have called for the complete annihilation of Israel, calling Israel a
``barbaric, wolflike, and infanticidal regime.'' Iranian leaders have
said that the United States of America has ``no place among the
nations.''
By its own declaration, Iran is not looking for a peaceful path of
coexistence. There can be nothing more dangerous for America or our
allies than a nuclear-armed Iran. That is why a bad deal with Iran, one
that leaves the door open for Iranian nuclear weapons, must be avoided
at all costs.
In order to alleviate these concerns, the President and his national
security team have said over and over that a bad deal is worse than no
deal at all; but will that sentiment actually stop this administration
from entering into a bad deal with Iran? What I have seen so far,
through the framework agreement released in April, raises serious
concerns.
Under this framework agreement, not a single Iranian nuclear
centrifuge will be dismantled. No nuclear facilities will be shut down.
While some of Iran's nuclear infrastructure will be temporarily
warehoused, most of Iran's nuclear infrastructure will remain
completely intact. All of these factors point to a flawed understanding
of a ``good deal'' by President Obama; yet this is the deal we may well
be given.
Twenty years ago, the United States was negotiating with another
country on nuclear weapons development. During these talks with the
Soviet Union and Gorbachev in the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan used
the proverb ``trust, but verify'' throughout those discussions.
I do not see this administration using that same tactic. In fact, it
seems to me that in regards to Iran, the Obama administration is
operating on the principle of ``trust and don't verify.''
As things stand, these ongoing nuclear negotiations are placing far
too much faith in a country that has proven itself both deceptive and
unpredictable.
Mr. President, a good deal must contain the following five points:
first, a deal that requires anytime, anywhere inspections; second, a
deal that would only lift sanctions when Iran demonstrates compliance
with its obligations; third, a deal must require Iran to provide a
complete report of its past nuclear activities; fourth, a deal must
require Iran to dismantle its nuclear weapons infrastructure; and, last
but not least, a good deal must not allow Iran to become a nuclear
state ever.
Without these conditions in place, the United States will, without a
doubt, be prioritizing a bad deal over no deal at all.
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