Posted on 07/14/2015 9:03:14 AM PDT by Isara
Congress Must Stop a Deal that Puts Iran on Path Toward Nuclear Bomb
HOUSTON, Texas — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, released the following statement in response to the nuclear deal negotiated with Iran:
“Today, the international community led by the United States has agreed to not only legitimize and perpetuate the Iranian nuclear program, but also to further arm and enrich the brutal theocratic regime that has oppressed the Iranian people for more than thirty years a regime that is wrongfully holding United States citizens captive, that is sponsoring radical Islamic terrorism across the globe, and that regularly promotes the destruction of both Israel and America throughout its streets.
“Despite these facts, it seems President Obama would concede almost anything to get any deal even a terrible deal from the Islamic Republic of Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Under the terms of this deal, Iran will retain all of its centrifuges, one-third of which will continue to spin. Rather than the most intrusive inspections regime in history that we were promised, IAEA inspectors must petition the mullahs to visit sensitive sites, and wait for two weeks for their permission. In a final, shocking concession, the United States will support lifting of the United Nations arms embargos that restrict the Iranian ballistic missile program and arms trafficking. And in return, billions of dollars of economic relief will flow to Tehran.
“Yet, in his remarks this morning, the President glossed over the truth about Irans world-leading state-sponsorship of terrorism that is violently destabilizing the region, and would grow more deadly should the Iranians get a nuclear bomb. He failed to mention American citizens, Saeed Abedini, Amir Hekmati, and Jason Rezaian, who continue to languish in Iranian prisons or Robert Levinson, who is still unaccounted for. For them, today is no ‘opportunity to move in a new direction’ as the President claimed. We owe it to our fellow Americans to elevate, not ignore, their plight, to demand their swift and unconditional release by the implacably hostile regime that holds them.
“Even by the low standards of the Joint Plan of Action, this is a staggeringly bad deal. It is a fundamental betrayal of the security of the United States and of our closest allies, first and foremost Israel.
“But thankfully, it is not a done deal. We still have an opportunity to tell the truth about what Prime Minister Netanyahu called today a ‘bad mistake of historic proportion.’
“Congress will have 60 days to review it, and the American people will have 60 days to tell their elected representatives just what they think of it. I urge all my fellow citizens to speak out and let their elected leaders know that even if President Obama wont see it, we know the leaders of the Islamic Republic who lead crowds in chants of ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ are not our partners in peace, and must not be put on the path to a nuclear bomb.”
Can the next congress make it go away??
where was he when he voted for the Corker bill? Oh yeah, touting some amendment that had no chance so he could cover his posterior with it....
Leaving the mess for the next administration
Cute
In Obama’s twisted Brain this is a done deal and he’ll never talk about Iran again
How could he have voted for rhe Corker Bill to abrogate the constitutional 2/3 Senate approval of ANY TREATY!!? What the hell was he thinking?
NO!!!It is stutory law— Do you thing McConnell will oppose the Corker Bill? Are you nuts?
That would be a great title for the first honest Barack Hussein Obama movie.
Actually this isn’t a Treaty. it’s an Agreement. It is no more than just another “trade agreement”.
What qualifies as a “treaty” for purposes of the Constitution is fairly narrow. A “Treaty” actually gives the Executive MUCH more authority to act outside the scope of Congress where an Agreement is more restrictive.
11 Fam 721.2 vies the analysis. There is also quite a bit of material on the subject but there is no doubt that this is not a treaty.
If any are at all interested, this link gets you started on the issue:
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/88317.pdf
He Obama! Neville Chamberlain called. He said "Thanks!" "I'm no longer the stupidest appeaser in history! "
Obama has the authority to make executive agreements with other nations without Congress. This is not a treaty and that Congress passed a bill allowing them to review the agreement was some improvement.
Cruz has shown abominable judgment, at least, on this and on Trade. On the trade deal he partially redeemed himself but the initial action combined with the vote for Iran throws a dense cloud on his loyalty to the Constitution. That from the most articulate and insistent voice for the Constitution in Congress.
The Senate should have declared it a treaty then when it was done, should vote on ratification. That makes it a Treaty and annuls it, unless, of course, Senate Republicans vote to ratify it, which they well might do.
I don’t see why not. It can rescind treaties, can’t it? Anyone?
this is a treaty. By using the language “executive agreement” he was able to fool congress
“Obama has the authority to make executive agreements with other nations without Congress. This is not a treaty and that Congress passed a bill allowing them to review the agreement was some improvement.”
This may be true. But what I want to know is can the next POTUS undo this? For instance, the likely scenario (I would almost bet my life it will play out this way) is the majority of the House and Senate vote against this deal and come just one or two votes shy of the two thirds needed to override a presidential veto. If that be the case, could the next Congress revisit the agreement and vote to rescind it with a simple majority and presidential signature?
If that is not the case, then this bill was not really an improvement. It would have been better for the Senate to simply declare it a treaty and vote it up or down (with the two-thirds threshold). This would give the next POTUS a lot more political cover to rescind the deal.
Thank you mitch.
May 7, 2015 - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, released the following statement regarding votes on the Iran Nuclear Review Act:
This bill was a missed opportunity. If Congress had acted to defend our constitutional authority if Congress had adopted the Cruz-Toomey amendment then we would be able to stop a bad Iran deal. Instead, the odds are now overwhelming that under these ground rules President Obama will negotiate, and Congress will acquiesce to, a terrible deal that allows Iran to acquire nuclear weapons and will endanger the lives of millions of Americans and our allies.
I voted no on cloture because we should have insisted on amendments to put real teeth in this bill. Ultimately, I voted yes on final passage because it may delay, slightly, President Obamas ability to lift the Iran sanctions and it ensures we will have a Congressional debate on the merits of the Iran deal. I will continue to lead the fight to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to protect the national security of America and our allies.
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