Statement by Congressman Huffman on Iran Nuclear Agreement

July 14, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) today issued the following statement today after the U.S. and P5 nations announced an agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program:

“I congratulate President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry for completing the P5+1 negotiations and achieving a final proposed agreement to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Over the next several weeks, I look forward to reviewing the details of the agreement and becoming further informed through classified briefings, experts in the field, and considering the views and analyses of concerned stakeholders. I will carefully weigh all of this information and form my own judgments on whether the agreement adequately addresses the security interests of the United States and our allies, including, Israel in blocking Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon and preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. I will compare the agreement against the realistic alternatives available to us if the agreement is rejected. I expect to take full advantage of the 60-day review period before deciding how to vote on this important matter.

“I hope my colleagues in Congress share my commitment to fully considering the options before us. I’m disappointed, however, to see that even before the ink has dried—and before they could possibly have read the entire agreement and annexes—many of those who have long opposed a diplomatic solution with Iran, including many Republicans in Congress and the GOP presidential parade, are already attacking the proposed agreement in their usual blustering, hyperbolic manner. For too many, this issue has become an exercise in partisan posturing and warmongering, rather than a genuine attempt to resolve the threat of Iran’s nuclear program and avert another war.

“The vote in Congress will be close. I hope the Iranian regime understands that undecided members of Congress will be watching Iran’s actions carefully over the next 60 days as judgments about the nuclear agreement are formed. While I will vote based on the merits of the agreement, Iran’s credibility and trustworthiness are also considerations. There is one very important action the Iranian regime can take to demonstrate its commitment to a new era of trust, goodwill and diplomacy with the international community:  they could release the five innocent, unjustly imprisoned Americans including my constituent Jason Rezaian, a journalist for the Washington Post. I call upon Iran to do this now. These Americans are innocent and should have been released long ago. Releasing them now would be an important gesture of goodwill as the nuclear agreement hangs in the balance.”

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