Congressman Richard Neal announced his support for the Iran nuclear agreement Thursday afternoon. The Democrat from Massachusetts' 1st district and dean of the state's congressional delegation says he is under no illusions about Iran's threat to the region or around the globe.
"I agree with President Obama that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable to the United States, unacceptable to Israel, and unacceptable to the rest of the world," Neal said in a statement.
Members of Congress are expected to continue debate over the agreement in the coming days.
Here is Congressman Neal's full statement.
“In October 2002, I made one of the most consequential decisions of my career as a Member of Congress when I voted against authorizing the use of force against Iraq. It was a tough choice, and only 133 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives joined with me. Despite public opinion polls at the time that showed a sizeable number of Americans supported going to war against Saddam Hussein, I was not convinced that military action was the best way of responding to the Iraqi leaders continuing acts of aggression in the region. After a judicious review of the evidence, I came to the conclusion that there were no weapons of mass destruction, no connection between Iraq and al-Qaeda, and the rush to war was ill-advised. I wanted to see what resolute and determined diplomacy could achieve.
Thirteen years later, the United States Congress is now debating whether to approve an agreement reached between the P5+1 Nations (the United States, France, United Kingdom, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran over its nuclear program. As with the Iraq vote, I have taken my responsibilities as a legislator very seriously, and have done my due diligence. I have spoken directly with President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew about the merits of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran. I have reviewed the classified assessment and associated documents. I have met with my constituents in western and central Massachusetts to hear their concerns about the agreement. I have read every page of the proposal and have come to the conclusion that the best way to curb Iran’s nuclear aspirations is to support the P5+1 plan of action.
I am under no illusions about Iran’s threat to the region or around the globe. And I agree with President Obama that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable to the United States, unacceptable to Israel, and unacceptable to the rest of the world. Iran is an oppressive nation that systematically denies its people their basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. Its treatment of women and minorities has been criticized by the United Nations. According to Amnesty International, Iran executes more people than any country in the world, other than China. And it remains a state sponsor of terrorism through its proxies Hezbollah and Hamas. But one fact remains undeniable, you negotiate with your enemies and not your friends. And I don’t believe the American people want to see more boots on the ground in the Middle East.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action enjoys the support of the international community. In the United States, many prominent Republicans including Colin Powell, former national security advisor Brent Scowcroft and former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill have backed the agreement in a spirit of bipartisanship. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that a significant number of US and Israeli military leaders support the deal with Iran and have shared their views with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Many of our top scientists and engineers have endorsed the agreement. And polls show that the American people strongly approve of the plan. I believe they want to see the United States remain vigilant, and not isolated, in our effort to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. And going to war is simply not an option.
If the United States were to reject the Iran nuclear deal, we would be virtually alone in the world. Our international partners would consider a vote of disapproval a strong rebuke of the diplomatic path forward. International weapons inspectors who are responsible for monitoring Iran’s nuclear weapons program will consider it a step backwards. And our sanctions program would be considerably weakened. As Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson recently said, “the sanctions will be unilateral and even more feckless than they were before diplomacy achieved comprehensive participation in them. We will be the isolated state.” In my opinion, the only way to successfully prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is with the support of the friends and allies around the world.
As the American family continues to debate the Iran nuclear deal, I recall President Lincoln’s admonition that “force is all conquering, but its victories are short lived.” It is my belief that most people continue to favor diplomacy over war with respect to Iran. And as the vote against authorizing Iraq the use of force reminds us, it is in our national interest to be on the right side of history.”
