South Dakotans Deserve a Voice on President’s Flawed Deal With Iran
By Sen. John Thune
A majority of the American people oppose the president’s nuclear deal with Iran. They have good reason to be concerned, and they deserve to have their voices heard.
Back in the spring, Congress tried to make sure that the American people, through their representatives in Congress, would have a say in any deal with Iran, and Senate Democrats joined Senate Republicans to support legislation guaranteeing an up-or-down vote on any agreement. Unfortunately, Democrats changed their minds about giving the American people a chance to be heard and succumbed to pressure from their party by blocking an up-or-down vote on the president’s deal.
I was deeply disappointed by the Democrats’ decision. The deeply flawed deal President Obama announced this summer not only fails to end Iran’s nuclear program – which would have been a key step in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon – it actually allows Iran to increase its nuclear expertise and enrichment infrastructure.
Under this agreement, Iran is allowed to build more advanced centrifuges capable of producing a significant amount of nuclear material in a very short amount of time. While the deal forbids Iran from enriching weapons-grade uranium, that prohibition is only as good as Iran’s word given that Iran will be allowed to maintain and grow its nuclear infrastructure.
Another key part of a strong deal would have been “anytime, anywhere” inspections, especially given Iran’s history of violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by building enrichment facilities in secret. Unfortunately, under the terms of the Obama-negotiated agreement, “anytime, anywhere” inspections are limited to a small number of known nuclear sites. If inspectors believe that Iran is conducting activity at other locations, they have to apply for permission to visit these sites, a process that could take more than three weeks and give Iran plenty of time to hide evidence of illicit activities.
On top of all this, the agreement will greatly increase Iran’s ability to fund terror. Iran is already the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism and the primary supporter of Hezbollah and Hamas. Now, under this agreement, sanctions will be lifted and Iran’s assets will be unfrozen, giving Iran access to tens of billions of dollars to spend on terrorism.
In addition to these problems, the Obama administration recently confirmed that the International Atomic Energy Agency — the agency in charge of nuclear inspections — has made secret side deals with Iran, but the details of those deals remain undisclosed.
During negotiations over this agreement, President Obama and his administration emphasized that no deal was better than a bad deal. Unfortunately they didn’t stick to that policy.
The deal the administration reached this summer will fuel instability in the Middle East and around the globe. I will continue to work with my colleagues to do what we can to protect our nation and our allies from the effects of this agreement.
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John is right: We needed a voice when he allowed Obama to skirt the Treaty Clause of the Constitution. We have a GOP Senate and we are no better than when Reid was running the show.
Ahhh, the poor victims got twicked by those wascally Dems….Again, what hypocrisy and insult tthe Repugs. would and have used every trick available to block anything that was proposed by Obama….. And this stuff should be even more insulting to those that voted for the S.D. bunch, they are assuming you people are ignorant and gullible.
the GOP bungled the legislative process, but you’re still a wordy, boring coward.
This is how those like Thune pander to the gullible– He stated–” —” has made secret side deals with Iran, but the details of those deals remain undisclosed.”—- Perhaps John says “undisclosed” as an euphemism for willful ignorance—
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz– on the claimed “undisclosed” deal
“standard practice” for the IAEA and individual countries not to make such documents public.
“This is pretty standard,” as part of the overall deal reached between Tehran and the P5+1 negotiating partners, but which has not been submitted to the congressional review of that deal.
“This is the way the agency works with countries,” he said. “If countries choose to make the documents public, then the IAEA of course can do so.”
The IAEA-Iran agreement reportedly deals with how Iran will satisfy the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s unresolved questions about past and possibly present nuclear activity that may have military applications. Resolving the so-called “possible military dimension” (PMD) issues is a crucial part of the overall agreement but U.S. lawmakers will now not be able to review how that is to be done.
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Nothing there that is not good, that’s why John insinuates something evil and claims it is i”undisclosed–Be afraid, be very afraid that is their game.
John “claims”—–“Under this agreement, Iran is allowed to build more advanced centrifuges”–etc..FACT– “Without the deal, Iran has enough uranium for ten bombs right now. With the deal, it will immediately have less than what it needs for one bomb. Under the deal, Iran also agrees to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Additional Protocol, ( which John referred to that “undisclosed” side deal) so it is bound to not producing nuclear weapons. If it chooses to try, all the options available today—including military action—will be available to the U.S. president in five, ten, fifteen or even thirty years.”—Are we feeling insulted yet by the “claims” made by John?
John says–“Another key part of a strong deal would have been “anytime, anywhere” inspections,”–He is right, that is why–” Iran’s entire nuclear supply chain will be under 24/7 surveillance and monitoring. IAEA inspectors will have the right to visit any part of that supply chain immediately. If suspicious activity is detected elsewhere in Iran, Tehran must allow international inspections within twenty-four days. Nuclear materials leave traces that endure for thousands of years. The U.S. intelligence community and IAEA nuclear inspectors are fully confident they can detect nuclear activities well beyond twenty-four days.”
John and his folks say–“On top of all this, the agreement will greatly increase Iran’s ability to fund terror.”— Can John say that they will use their money to do that? No, it is just more insinuations and scare mongering
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This is the same for Repugs as the ACA, they whine make scary insinuations and claims, they use dishonesty to try to defeat something they claim is the worst thing ever when what actually concerns them is that it probably will work..They don’t want anything good for the country to happen with a (D) as president, especially this president.. How much lower can they stoop/
gasbag
Are you gonna have a hissi-fit Lil Princess? What do you think about your Darlin John lying to you? Aren’t you insulted that he thinks you are so gullible, that he thinks so lowly of y’all?
i just called you a gasbag. if you’re going to prove me right every time by spewing out dozens of nonsense words, go ahead and knock yourself out. your points are utterly wrong, you’re a coward, and all the insults in the world won’t change that.
Sir, how does posting something you don’t want to see make me a coward? “your points are utterly wrong”– You can prove that if you wish.
Old hag
There should have been two thirds of the Senate to approve the Iran Nuclear Deal. The Corker amendment was extraordinarily bad policy. Decisions made out of fear are bad policy. Bainter and McConnell are weak leaders.
correct. though Boehner didn’t have much to do with this.
Photo op just grasping at straws, as they lost their nuclear deal .John why dont you look for those suitcase nukes that havent been accounted for. You said you could do more for S.D. If attending basketball games and getting your photo op is getting it done for South Dakota your a poor senator except in the pocket book.
John is a great US Senator. One of the greatest our state has ever seen; heck, nobody wants to run against him because he is that good! On this topic I really respect Thune’s sincerity and convictions. Where else can a U.S. Senator tell a group of us donors in AIPAC that he would just as soon vaporize those towel-headed camel jockeys into the dirt than see a drop of Israeli blood spilled, and still not have somebody contest him. Senator Thune is simply the best! Shalom!
Josef Goebbels in 1943: “None of the Führer’s prophetic words has come so inevitably true as his prediction that if Jewry succeeded in provoking a second world war, the result would be not the destruction of the Aryan race, but rather the wiping out of the Jewish race.”
how’s that workin out for y’all? go be anti-semitic somewhere else loser.
Yeah right like Photo Op served in the Milatary know family that lost son In Iraq.Im sure they would like him back,How about Germany we got 50 thousand troops there ,I do beleive Hitler is dead.
when you get home every night, do you give away your car because you don’t need it any more?
Saw the Senator at the Augie football game on Saturday. As he walked in, everyone in line was nudging who they were with and smiling at him. 100% recognition and he had trouble getting through the causeway to watch the game. That is “name ID +.” Rare to see.
Saw the Kardashian? Paris Hilton? Ru Paul? Trump? Al Sharpton? Bozo?etc.at the Augie football game on Saturday. As they walked in, everyone in line was nudging who they were with and smiling at them 100% recognition and they had trouble getting through the causeway to watch the game. That is “name ID +.” Rare to see.?
What a squander from the “Dump Daschel” days…
Kelly Lieberg, Please consider running against a RINO in your district.
Spot-on. Beauty.
Ah, working the crowds because there’s an election next year. Sounds about right.