Why I Opposed the Iran Deal
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Why I Opposed the Iran DealOn Friday, in a vote of 269-162, the United States House of Representatives defeated a deal brokered by the Obama Administration, France, China, Russia, Great Britain, Germany and Iran that would grant immediate sanctions relief to Iran and guarantee the continuation of its nuclear program, including its right to a nuclear bomb, within the next 15 years. On Thursday, in an op-ed published by the Austin American-Statesman, I stated why I would vote against this deal. On Friday I further explained my position in an interview with Mark Davis on KSKY Dallas/ Fort Worth and in a speech I delivered on the House floor.
Williams: Why I will oppose the Iran deal
The following day, Chamberlain applauded the deal in a speech ironically titled "Peace for Our Time." He promised a renewed friendship between Germany and Britain — "a desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again." No one is capable of predicting the future; but I believe history and patterns of behavior are our most reliable guides. This week, Congress will vote on a previously agreed to multi-nation deal with Iran. First and foremost, any deal with Iran — a nation that the United States cut off diplomatic ties with 35 years ago — must protect America's interests at home and abroad. This deal does not. While the Obama administration claims the Iran deal is the best way to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, the agreement relies too heavily on trust. The terms of the deal allow Iran to use its own inspectors. As the former Democratic Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, the agreement is "the equivalent of having an athlete accused of using performance-enhancing drugs submit an unsupervised urine sample." Iran's historical patterns of bad behavior demonstrate why self-inspection is a problem. Iran has previously violated the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and has denied the International Atomic Energy Agency access to documents, individuals and locations relevant to its military and enrichment activities. Despite previous claims by White House officials, the deal does not authorize "anytime, anywhere" inspections. According to the agreement, Iran must be given advance notice before inspections are conducted. Rather than preventing Iran from getting the bomb, this deal kicks the can down the road for future world leaders to deal with. In 15 years, restrictions on Iran's uranium enrichment activities will be lifted, putting Iran on a smoother path to a nuclear weapon. In 10 years, the United Nation's ability to reimpose sanctions will expire. The Iran deal was brokered with a supreme leader who shouts "Death to America" and calls the United States the "Great Satan." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has vowed to wipe Israel off the map, said this week that Israel would not exist in 25 years. In my opinion, that statement alone is enough to give us pause. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in his address to Congress earlier this year, "Iran's regime poses a grave threat, not only to Israel, but also to the peace of the entire world." I agree with his assessment. While I personally believe the United States has a moral obligation to defend Israel, I also believe the U.S. has a strategic obligation to protect its greatest friend in the Middle East. The benefits of a secure, stable and trustworthy ally in a very volatile and tumultuous region are obvious. Despite warnings from those within President Barack Obama's own party and leaders of ally nations, I am afraid this president is more concerned with leaving a lasting legacy than guaranteeing the safety of America, Israel and the world. This Iran deal, I believe, is Obama's Chamberlain moment. Right now, Obama, like the former British prime minister, is leading the charge in surrendering to a dictator in a policy of appeasement. I will vote to oppose this deal — and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. Williams, a Republican from Austin, serves on the Financial Services Committee, an Iran deal committee of jurisdiction in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Click here or on the image above to listen to my interview with Mark Davis on KSKY 660AM Dallas/ Fort Worth.
Click here or on the image above to watch me speak about the Iran deal on the House floor.
As I said on the House floor, I challenge all of my colleagues who supported this deal to look the American people in the eye and explain their vote, so when history comes full circle the American people will know who let our Neville Chamberlain give Iran the bomb. Sincerely, |
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