[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 131 (Friday, September 11, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1274-E1276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             APPROVAL OF JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. EDWARD R. ROYCE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 10, 2015

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following letter:

     Hon. John A. Boehner,
     Speaker of the House.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Minority Leader.
     Hon. Mitch McConnell,
     Majority Leader.
     Hon. Harry Reid,
     Minority Leader.
       Dear Representatives Boehner and Pelosi and Senators 
     McConnell and Reid: As you know, on July 14, 2015, the United 
     States and five other nations announced that a Joint 
     Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has been reached with 
     Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. In our 
     judgment as former senior military officers, the agreement 
     will not have that effect. Removing sanctions on Iran and 
     releasing billions of dollars to its regime over the next ten 
     years is inimical to the security of Israel and the Middle 
     East. There is no credibility within JCPOA's inspection 
     process or the ability to snap back sanctions once lifted, 
     should Iran violate the agreement. In this and other 
     respects, the JCPOA would threaten the national security and 
     vital interests of the United States and, therefore, should 
     be disapproved by the Congress.
       The agreement as constructed does not ``cut off every 
     pathway'' for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. To the 
     contrary, it actually provides Iran with a legitimate path to 
     doing that simply by abiding by the deal. JCPOA allows all 
     the infrastructure the Iranians need for a nuclear bomb to be 
     preserved and enhanced. Notably, Iran is allowed to: continue 
     to enrich uranium; develop and test advanced centrifuges; and 
     continue work on its Arak heavy-water plutonium reactor. 
     Collectively, these concessions afford the Iranians, at 
     worst, a ready breakout option and, at best, an incipient 
     nuclear weapons capability a decade from now.
       The agreement is unverifiable. Under the terms of the JCPOA 
     and a secret side deal (to which the United States is not 
     privy), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be 
     responsible for inspections under such severe limitations as 
     to prevent them from reliably detecting Iranian cheating. For 
     example, if Iran and the inspectors are unable to reach an 
     accommodation with respect to a given site, the result could 
     be at least a 24-day delay in IAEA access. The agreement

[[Page E1275]]

     also requires inspectors to inform Iran in writing as to the 
     basis for its concerns about an undeclared site, thus further 
     delaying access. Most importantly, these inspections do not 
     allow access to Iranian military facilities, the most likely 
     location of their nuclear weapons development efforts. In the 
     JCPOA process, there is substantial risk of U.S. intelligence 
     being compromised, since the IAEA often relies on our 
     sensitive data with respect to suspicious and/or prohibited 
     activity.
       While failing to assure prevention of Iran's nuclear 
     weapons development capabilities, the agreement provides by 
     some estimates $150 billion dollars or more to Iran in the 
     form of sanctions relief. As military officers, we find it 
     unconscionable that such a windfall could be given to a 
     regime that even the Obama administration has acknowledged 
     will use a portion of such funds to continue to support 
     terrorism in Israel, throughout the Middle East and globally, 
     whether directly or through proxies. These actions will be 
     made all the more deadly since the JCPOA will lift 
     international embargoes on Iran's access to advanced 
     conventional weapons and ballistic missile technology.
       In summary, this agreement will enable Iran to become far 
     more dangerous, render the Mideast still more unstable and 
     introduce new threats to American interests as well as our 
     allies. In our professional opinion, far from being an 
     alternative to war, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action 
     makes it likely that the war the Iranian regime has waged 
     against us since 1979 will continue, with far higher risks to 
     our national security interests. Accordingly, we urge the 
     Congress to reject this defective accord.
           Sincerely,
       Admiral David Architzel, US Navy, Retired; Admiral Stanley 
     R. Arthur, US Navy, Retired; General William Begert, US Air 
     Force, Retired; General J.B. Davis, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Admiral William A. Dougherty, US Navy, Retired; Admiral Leon 
     A. ``Bud'' Edney, US Navy, Retired; General Alfred G. Hansen, 
     US Air Force, Retired; Admiral Thomas Hayward, US Navy, 
     Retired; Admiral James Hogg, US Navy, Retired; Admiral Jerome 
     Johnson, US Navy, Retired; Admiral Timothy J. Keating, US 
     Navy, Retired; Admiral Robert J. Kelly, US Navy, Retired; 
     Admiral Thomas Joseph Lopez, US Navy, Retired; Admiral James 
     A. ``Ace'' Lyons, US Navy, Retired; Admiral Richard Macke, 
     US Navy, Retired; Admiral Henry Mauz, US Navy, Retired; 
     General Lance Smith, US Air Force, Retired; Admiral 
     Leighton Smith, US Navy, Retired; Admiral William D. 
     Smith, US Navy, Retired; General Louis C. Wagner, Jr., US 
     Army, Retired; Admiral Steve White, US Navy, Retired; 
     General Ronald W. Yates, US Air Force, Retired.
       Lieutenant General Teddy G. Allen, US Army, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General Edward G. Anderson, III, US Army, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General Marcus A. Anderson, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General Spence M. Armstrong, US Air Force, 
     Retired; Lieutenant General Harold W. Blot, US Marine Corps, 
     Retired; Vice Admiral Michael Bowman, US Navy, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General William G. ``Jerry'' Boykin, US Army, 
     Retired; Vice Admiral Edward S. Briggs, US Navy, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General Richard E. ``Tex'' Brown III, US Air 
     Force, Retired; Lieutenant General William J. Campbell, US 
     Air Force, Retired; Vice Admiral Edward Clexton, US Navy, 
     Retired; Vice Admiral Daniel L. Cooper, US Navy, Retired; 
     Vice Admiral William A. Dougherty, US Navy, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General Brett Dula, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General Gordon E. Fornell, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General Thomas B. Goslin, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General Earl Hailston, US Marine Corps, Retired; 
     Vice Admiral Bernard M. Kauderer, US Navy, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General Timothy A. Kinnan, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Vice Admiral J.B. LaPlante, US Navy, Retired; Vice Admiral 
     Tony Less, US Navy, Retired; Lieutenant General Bennett L. 
     Lewis, US Army, Retired; Vice Admiral Michael Malone, US 
     Navy, Retired; Vice Admiral John Mazach, US Navy, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Lieutenant General Fred McCorkle, US Marine Corps, Retired; 
     Vice Admiral Robert Monroe, US Navy, Retired; Vice Admiral 
     Jimmy Pappas, US Navy, Retired; Vice Admiral J. Theodore 
     Parker, US Navy, Retired; Lieutenant General Garry L. Parks, 
     US Marine Corps, Retired; Lieutenant General Everett Pratt, 
     US Air Force, Retired; Vice Admiral John Poindexter, US Navy, 
     Retired; Lieutenant General Clifford ``Ted'' Rees, Jr., US 
     Air Force, Retired; Vice Admiral William Rowden, US Navy, 
     Retired; Vice Admiral Robert F. Schoultz, US Navy, 
     Retired; Lieutenant General E.G. ``Buck'' Shuler, Jr., US 
     Air Force, Retired; Lieutenant General Hubert ``Hugh'' G. 
     Smith, US Army, Retired.
       Vice Admiral Edward M. Straw, US Navy, Retired; Lieutenant 
     General David J. Teal, US Air Force, Retired; Vice Admiral 
     D.C. ``Deese'' Thompson, US Coast Guard, Retired; Lieutenant 
     General William E. Thurman, US Air Force, Retired; Lieutenant 
     General Billy Tomas, US Army, Retired; Vice Admiral John 
     Totushek, US Navy, Retired; Vice Admiral Jerry Tuttle, US 
     Navy, Retired; Vice Admiral Jerry Unruh, US Navy, Retired; 
     Vice Admiral Timothy W. Wright, US Navy, Retired.
       Rear Admiral William V. Alford, Jr., US Navy, Retired; 
     Major General Thurman E. Anderson, US Army, Retired; Major 
     General Joseph T. Anderson, US Marine Corps, Retired; Rear 
     Admiral Philip Anselmo, US Navy, Retired; Major General Joe 
     Arbuckle, US Army, Retired; Rear Admiral James W. Austin, US 
     Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral John R. Batzler, US Navy, 
     Retired; Rear Admiral John Bayless, US Navy, Retired; Major 
     General John Bianchi, US Army, Retired; Rear Admiral Donald 
     Vaux Boecker, US Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral Jerry C. Breast, 
     US Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral Bruce B. Bremner, US Navy, 
     Retired; Major General Edward M. Browne, US Army, Retired; 
     Rear Admiral Thomas F. Brown III, US Navy, Retired; Rear 
     Admiral Lyle Bull, US Navy, Retired; Major General Bobby G. 
     Butcher, US Marine Corps, Retired; Rear Admiral Jay A. 
     Campbell, US Navy, Retired; Major General Henry D. 
     Canterbury, US Air Force, Retired; Major General Carroll D. 
     Childers, US Army, Retired; Rear Admiral Ronald L. 
     Christenson, US Navy, Retired; Major General John R.D. 
     Cleland, US Army, Retired; Major General Richard L. Comer, US 
     Air Force, Retired; Rear Admiral Jack Dantone, US Navy, 
     Retired; Major General William B. Davitte, US Air Force, 
     Retired; Major General James D. Delk, US Army, Retired; Major 
     General Felix Dupre, US Air Force, Retired; Rear Admiral 
     Philip A. Dur, US Navy, Retired; Major General Neil L. 
     Eddins, US Air Force, Retired; Rear Admiral Paul Engel, US 
     Navy, Retired; Major General Vince Falter, US Army, 
     Retired; Rear Admiral James H. Flatley, US Navy, Retired.
       Major General Bobby O. Floyd, US Air Force, Retired; Major 
     General Paul Fratarangelo, US Marine Corps, Retired; Rear 
     Admiral Veronica ``Ronne'' Froman, US Navy, Retired; Rear 
     Admiral R. Byron Fuller, US Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral Frank 
     Gallo, US Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral Albert A. Gallotta, 
     Jr., US Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral James Mac Gleim, US Navy, 
     Retired; Rear Admiral Robert H. Gormley, US Navy, Retired; 
     Rear Admiral William Gureck, US Navy, Retired; Major General 
     Gary L. Harrell, US Army, Retired; Rear Admiral Donald 
     Hickman, US Navy, Retired; Major General Geoffrey 
     Higginbotham, US Marine Corps, Retired; Major General Kent H. 
     Hillhouse, US Army, Retired; Rear Admiral Tim Hinkle, US 
     Navy, Retired; Major General Victor Joseph Hugo, US Army, 
     Retired; Major General James P. Hunt, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Rear Admiral Grady L. Jackson, US Navy, Retired; Major 
     General William K. James, US Air Force, Retired; Rear Admiral 
     John M. ``Carlos'' Johnson, US Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral 
     Pierce J. Johnson, US Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral Steven B. 
     Kantrowitz, US Navy, Retired; Major General Maurice W. 
     Kendall, US Army, Retired; Rear Admiral Charles R. Kubic, US 
     Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral Frederick L. Lewis, US Navy, 
     Retired; Major General John D. Logeman, Jr., US Air Force, 
     Retired; Major General Homer S. Long, Jr., US Army, Retired; 
     Major General Robert M. Marquette, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Rear Admiral Robert B. McClinton, US Navy, Retired; Rear 
     Admiral W. J. McDaniel, MD, US Navy, Retired; Major General 
     Keith W. Meurlin, US Air Force, Retired; Rear Admiral 
     Terrence McKnight, US Navy, Retired; Major General John F. 
     Miller, Jr., US Air Force, Retired; Major General Burton R. 
     Moore, US Air Force, Retired; Rear Admiral David R. Morris, 
     US Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral Ed Nelson, Jr., US Coast 
     Guard, Retired; Major General George W. ``Nordie'' Norwood, 
     US Air Force, Retired; Major General Everett G. Odgers, US 
     Air Force, Retired.
       Rear Admiral Phillip R. Olson, US Navy, Retired; Rear 
     Admiral Robert S. Owens, US Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral 
     Robert O. Passmore, US Navy, Retired; Major General Richard 
     E. Perraut, Jr., US Air Force, Retired; Rear Admiral W.W. 
     Pickavance, Jr., US Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral L.F. Picotte, 
     US Navy, Retired; Rear Admiral Thomas J. Porter, US Navy, 
     Retired; Major General H. Douglas Robertson, US Army, 
     Retired; Rear Admiral W.J. Ryan, US Navy, Retired; Rear 
     Admiral Norman Saunders, US Coast Guard, Retired; Major 
     General John P. Schoeppner, Jr., US Air Force, Retired; Major 
     General Edison E. Scholes, US Army, Retired; Rear Admiral 
     Hugh P. Scott, US Navy, Retired; Major General Richard 
     Secord, US Air Force, Retired; Rear Admiral James M. Seely, 
     US Navy, Retired; Major General Sidney Shachnow, US Army, 
     Retired; Rear Admiral William H. Shawcross, US Navy, Retired; 
     Rear Admiral Bob Shumaker, US Navy, Retired; Major General 
     Willie Studer, US Air Force, Retired; Major General Larry 
     Taylor, US Marine Corps, Retired; Rear Admiral Jeremy Taylor, 
     US Navy, Retired; Major General Richard L. Testa, US Air 
     Force, Retired; Rear Admiral Robert P. Tiernan, US Navy, 
     Retired; Major General Paul E. Vallely, US Army, Retired; 
     Major General Kenneth W. Weir, US Marine Corps, Retired; 
     Major General John Welde, US Air Force, Retired; Rear Admiral 
     James B. Whittaker, US Navy, Retired; Major General Geoffrey 
     P. Wiedeman, Jr., MD, US Air Force, Retired; Rear Admiral H. 
     Denny Wisely, US Navy, Retired.
       Brigadier General John R. Allen, Jr., US Air Force, 
     Retired; Brigadier General John C. Arick, US Marine Corps, 
     Retired; Brigadier General Loring R. Astorino, US Air Force, 
     Retired; Rear Admiral Robert E. Besal, US Navy, Retired; 
     Brigadier General William Bloomer, US Marine Corps, Retired; 
     Brigadier General George P. Cole, Jr., US Air Force, Retired; 
     Brigadier General Richard A. Coleman, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Brigadier General James L. Crouch, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Rear Admiral Marianne B. Drew, US Navy, Retired; Brigadier 
     General Philip M. Drew, US Air Force, Retired; Brigadier 
     General Larry K. Grundhauser, US Air Force,

[[Page E1276]]

     Retired; Brigadier General Thomas W. Honeywill, US Air Force, 
     Retired; Brigadier General Gary M. Jones, US Army, Retired; 
     Brigadier General Stephen Lanning, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Brigadier General Thomas J. Lennon, US Air Force, Retired; 
     Rear Admiral Bobby C. Lee, US Navy, Retired; Brigadier 
     General Robert F. Peksens, US Air Force, Retired; Brigadier 
     General Joe Shaefer, US Air Force, Retired; Brigadier General 
     Graham E. Shirley, US Air Force, Retired; Brigadier General 
     Stanley O. Smith, US Air Force, Retired; Brigadier General 
     Hugh B. Tant III, US Army, Retired; Brigadier General Michael 
     Joseph Tashjian, US Air Force, Retired; Brigadier General 
     William Tiernan, US Marine Corps, Retired; Brigadier General 
     Roger W. Scearce, US Army, Retired; Brigadier General Robert 
     V. Woods, US Air Force, Retired.