Members of the Florida congressional delegation continued to react to President Barack Obama’s agreement with Iran over that nation’s nuclear program with even Democrats from the Sunshine State expressing concerns over the deal.
Republicans lined up against the agreement, insisting it would hurt national security and would negatively impact Israel.
“This agreement with Iran seems to be a bad deal for the United States and our allies,” said U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., on Tuesday afternoon. “Getting rid of the necessary sanctions will simply help fund Iran’s continuous terrorist activities, including those against Americans. Not only is the deal short of what Congress expected, but it also falls short of what President Obama had initially outlined when negotiations began almost two years ago. Furthermore, this deal will put Israel, one of our strongest allies, at grave risk. I will continue to review details as they emerge, but from what I have seen so far, this deal will certainly incentivize nuclear proliferation in the region, which appears to be another shameful legacy for President Obama and his administration.”
From his perch on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., said the agreement would do nothing to stop Iran from continuing its efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
"If Iran follows this deal to the letter, it will continue expanding its nuclear program and, in 10 years, use those developments to build a nuclear bomb,” Rooney insisted. “Iran will get billions in economic relief that, under the terms of this deal, it can use to ship arms and wreak havoc across the region. This deal doesn't stop Iran's nuclear program -- it legitimizes it. This deal doesn't curb Iran's aggression -- it enables it.
"The president promised he would walk away from any deal that didn't permanently dismantle Iran's nuclear program. He abandoned those goals and broke his word to the American people,” Rooney added. "This deal makes America, Israel, and the rest of the world less safe, secure, and free. Members of both parties pledged to oppose any agreement that allowed Iran a pathway to the bomb. We should keep those promises and reject this deal in a bipartisan fashion."
“At first glance, the so-called Iran nuclear deal is not an acceptable deal for America and our allies,” said U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., on Tuesday afternoon. “As I suspected, this agreement will threaten our national security interests at home and abroad. It is now up to Congress to examine the specifics of the deal and ensure the most dangerous regime in the Middle East halts its nuclear armament progress in order to prevent further regional conflict and an international arms race.”
Over on the other side of the aisle, Florida Democrats expressed caution about the agreement.
U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, the ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, praised U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his team for their efforts in negotiating with Iran but also withheld final judgment on the agreement.
"The terms of this proposed deal must be judged by whether Iran’s nuclear weapons program will be halted, whether we will have the necessary access to it, whether the limitations imposed are strong enough and whether Iran is blocked from acquiring nuclear weapons,” Deutch said on Tuesday afternoon. “It will also be measured by whether sanctions on the Iranian regime regarding arms sales, ballistic missiles, human rights violations, and support for terrorism remain firmly in place.
“This appears to be a lengthy agreement with detailed annexes. Guided by these principles, and keeping in mind the four Americans still held in Iran, I will review the deal closely, and I am sure every member of Congress will do the same,” Deutch added.
"I applaud Secretary of State John Kerry and his negotiating team for their commitment to diplomacy throughout the course of these P5+1 talks,” Deutch said in conclusion. “Yet throughout these negotiations, I have maintained that Congress, as the architects of the sanctions regime that brought Iran to the table, has a fundamental role to play. In assessing the strength of the deal and acting based upon that assessment, I take this role very seriously.”
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., insisted Iran could not be trusted on certain matters and that he and other representatives would closely scrutinize the agreement.
“Now that the P5+1 has reached a deal with Iran, it is time for Congress to meticulously and carefully review this agreement to ensure that it will, in fact, prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” Hastings said. “Iran’s engagement in state-sponsored terrorism and its history of deception at the negotiating table, give me reason to question any provision of this agreement that may allow Iran to continue on a path toward nuclear weaponization. In previous statements, I have outlined the necessary criteria for an acceptable deal: Iran must disclose its previous weaponization efforts and dismantle its nuclear infrastructure; inspectors must be permitted unfettered access to any and all sites to ensure ongoing compliance with the deal; sanctions must be lifted gradually as Iran demonstrates that it is meeting its obligations; and finally, Iran’s nuclear capabilities must be completely restricted until it proves it no longer seeks a nuclear weapon.
“I intend to measure this agreement against these principles, and after review I will have further comment,” Hastings added.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
