[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3488-3489]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN

  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to discuss the 
gravity of the current situation with regard to the administration's 
negotiations with Iran for a nuclear agreement.
  I believe it is important to note that we received some important 
information today in the Senate Armed Services Committee that is 
helpful to us in this regard.
  This morning the Armed Services Committee heard from ADM Bill 
Gortney. He gave us his assessment of Iran's capabilities and ongoing 
efforts to thwart international agencies. Admiral Gortney is the 
commander of the U.S. Northern Command. He is personally responsible 
for defending Americans in the United States mainland. He is an 
appointee of President Obama, and here are the words given to us today 
by Admiral Gortney: Iran has ``committed considerable resources to 
enhancing its ballistic missile capabilities and has already placed 
another satellite into orbit this year using a new booster that could 
serve as a demonstrator for ICBM, intercontinental ballistic 
technologies. Despite international condemnation and sanctions, Iran 
has failed to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy 
Agency to resolve all outstanding concerns regarding its nuclear 
program, particularly those concerning its possible military 
dimensions.''
  These are the words from the head of the Northern Command in this 
administration, and this regime, which Admiral Gortney described, is 
the very regime our President and Secretary of State have confidence 
will live up to any nuclear agreement.
  As the Admiral went on to say, the hope for a diplomatic solution 
should not come without vigilance, and that is what Members on this 
side of the aisle are trying to insist upon. We cannot ignore these 
warning signs of noncompliance and uncooperative behavior while 
expecting Iran to make good on its promises.
  A few days ago Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed Iran's record of 
misconduct and sinister objectives in his powerful address to Congress. 
He emphasized that a nuclear Iran would have serious implications for 
the world, the region, and of course for Israel, one of our most 
steadfast allies. These concerns are important for lawmakers, and I am 
glad we had a chance to hear them in person.
  With a record of foreign policy failures, I regret to say President 
Obama is under intense scrutiny to hold Iran accountable at this 
critical moment. He is under intense scrutiny because of these foreign 
policy failures. Like many of my colleagues, I am concerned and I think 
Americans are concerned that the administration might be too generous 
with concessions to Iran, as it has been with deals in past.
  The time is running out for the President to establish his legacy--a 
dangerous motivation for negotiations with the unreliable and volatile 
nation Admiral Gortney described today.
  At the very least, the Senate should insist on the passage of a 
partisan bill to ensure that the American people have a say in any 
agreement between the White House and Iran. Congressional approval 
would add legitimacy to any agreement, and I think that is important. 
Any foreign nation negotiating with the United States should be mindful 
of our constitutional system of checks and balances. Congress should 
also be discussing the appropriate steps to take if an agreement is not 
reached by the deadline this month.
  The President is now threatening to veto legislation that puts 
tougher sanctions on Iran. But shouldn't there be consequences for Iran 
if they refuse to cooperate with international investigators? Mistakes 
are too high to make excuses for stalled negotiations or to rely on 
wishful thinking about Iran's intentions.
  As Mr. Netanyahu said in his speech, ``If Iran wants to be treated 
like a normal country, let it act like a normal country.''
  Instead Iran continues to support terrorist groups and oppressive 
authoritarian regimes. We cannot afford to ignore its influence in 
unstable areas and how this influence could dramatically change should 
they be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.
  Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech is a reminder that Iran has made no 
excuses for its belligerent aims and ties to terrorist groups. A bad 
deal would spell disaster for Israel, whose very existence has been 
threatened by Iranian leaders.
  Israel and the United States share an unwavering commitment to 
keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. It is unfortunate that 
criticism from the Obama administration surrounded the Prime Minister's 
earlier visit.
  Meanwhile, the world is not safer. Global threats continue to 
multiply, posing complex challenges to America's national security 
issues. One looks at the unrest around the world, and it is easy to see 
how America is failing to lead.
  Another member of this administration, Director of National 
Intelligence James Clapper, underscored the widespread instability when 
he testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee last month. It 
is important to compare Director Clapper's testimony with that of the 
Secretary of State earlier. Director Clapper, our Director of National 
Intelligence, said there were more deaths from state-sponsored mass 
killings, more people displaced from their homes, and a higher rate of 
political instability last year than we have seen in decades. In fact, 
2014 was the most lethal year on record for terrorism. We are now 
facing unpredictable instability as the ``new normal,'' according to 
this administration's Director of National Intelligence.
  The White House's foreign policy team, however, seems unwilling to 
accept these harsh truths. Listen to the words of Secretary of State 
John Kerry, our chief negotiator with Iran, in contrast to the words of 
our Director of National Intelligence. Senator Kerry said:

       We are actually living in a period of less daily threat to 
     Americans and to people in the world than normally; less 
     deaths, less violent deaths today, than through the last 
     century.

  It is hard to square the testimony of our chief negotiator with Iran 
with the words of our Director of National Intelligence.
  Particularly troubling is the administration's past reliance on empty 
promises from adversaries. Under President Obama's watch, Vladimir 
Putin has invaded and annexed part of Ukraine, continued to support the 
brutal regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, and violated the 
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
  On February 27, we saw yet another troubling development in Moscow. 
Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was gunned down in cold blood on the 
street after dinner in a secure, well-protected part of Moscow, just 
steps away from the Kremlin. The Russian Government has denounced Mr. 
Nemtsov's assassination, but this is not the first time one of 
President Putin's opponents or critics has been murdered. I will only 
note that Mr. Nemtsov is only the latest in a line of Putin critics who 
have mysteriously met their demise over time, and Russia's record of 
corruption and shameful disregard for human rights continues.
  In conclusion, U.S. leadership is of the utmost importance to global 
security and stability at this pivotal time.

[[Page 3489]]

Director Clapper was frank in his testimony that ``pervasive 
uncertainty makes it all the harder to predict the future.'' That is 
why we must remain vigilant. America can succeed if we demonstrate the 
fortitude and resolve necessary to defend freedom and stop those who 
threaten it. This includes taking an honest look at Iran's past and 
present behavior before we cut a deal we will later regret.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to address the 
Senate in morning business and to enter into a colloquy with the 
Senator from South Carolina.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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