Thank you for contacting me
regarding Iran. I appreciate you taking the time to write. It is an honor to
serve you in the United States Senate and I hope you will continue to write
with your thoughts and ideas on moving our country forward.
Concern about Iran's nuclear
weapons capabilities has been growing for over a decade. In 2002, the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) first discovered that Iran was
engaging in a variety of nuclear activities, which violated its obligations as
a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The international
community has since pressured Iran to discontinue these activities through both
diplomacy and sanctions. After twenty months of negotiations, a deal was
reached between Iran and the six P5+1 countries, which include the United
States, France, Germany, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The parameters
of this agreement are outlined in a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA).
The more details we learn about the
deal, the worse it seems. Reports indicate that this deal accomplishes none of
the goals it should, nor the goals the negotiations began with. It would make
Iran a globally approved nuclear threshold state. It would endanger our closest
ally in the region, Israel. The sanctions relief in the deal would give Iran
billions to pour into continued international terror operations. Full access to
all of Iran's undeclared nuclear facilities or military facilities where
nuclear work may be conducted is the only way to ensure Iran's compliance with
the JCPA. In this agreement, however, inspectors must wait at least 24 days
before they can set foot on these sites, which is far from the Administration's
promise of "anytime, anywhere" inspections. Iran remains the largest
state sponsor of terror in the world and continues to provide weapons and
supplies to terrorist groups that have killed Americans, such as Hezbollah or
Iran-backed militants in Iraq. Furthermore, despite the advice our military
leaders, such as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin
Dempsey, this deal lifts the current conventional arms embargo against Iran in
five years and lifts sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program after eight
years, allowing Iran to become an even bigger threat to the region.
There is no doubt that a
nuclear-armed Iran would destabilize an already volatile region and directly
threaten our U.S. national security and that of our close allies, such as
Israel. Ever since its statehood, Israel has been a shining light for democracy
in a politically unstable region. Iran's regime, however, refuses to recognize
Israel's right to exist and has repeatedly said that it plans to "wipe
Israel off the map". It is imperative that we do everything we can to prevent
Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and from becoming nuclear-capable. That means doubling down on the sanctions that brought
Iran to the table in the first place and working to enact a deal like the
President originally promised: one that prevents Iran from ever obtaining a
nuclear weapon rather than putting them on the glide path to a bomb in a few
short years. We must also continue to provide all the support we
can toward Israel. Standing by Israel is one of my top priorities in
Congress. The American people and the world
deserve a better deal. Congress should reject this deal and deliver on the
promises made at the outset of these negotiations.
Again, thank you for contacting me,
and do not hesitate to do so again when an issue is important to you.
Cory Gardner
United States Senator
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