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Dem Congressman: Iran Nuclear Deal Doesn't Target Terrorism or Human Rights Violations

April 20, 2017

Rep. Ted Deutch (D., Fla.) explained his opposition to former President Barack Obama's Iran Nuclear Deal during a Thursday appearance on CNN's "New Day."  Deutch said the deal didn't address Iran's support for terrorism or their violations of human rights.

"On the Iran Deal, you hated the Iran Deal," co-host Chris Cuomo said.

"I did not support the Iran Deal," Deutch responded.

Cuomo pointed out that Deutch had previously said that the Obama administration should not participate in the Iran Deal and that Iran should not be receiving any foreign investments. He then asked Deutch whether he was playing politics over policy since Trump shared this same sentiment regarding Iran.

"Of course not," Deutch responded. "The good policy here now that this deal is in place and the State Department has certified that thus far it's working, the good policy is to lead our allies. Remember this is not just the United States, it's a multilateral deal."

Deutch began offering Secretary of State Rex Tillerson advice on how to go forward with the nuclear agreement already in place and how he should target human rights issue and terrorism.

"Lead our allies in vigorously enforcing it, so that you can then turn around and lead our allies and make clear – This is what the secretary should have done. He should have said the nuclear deal deals with nuclear issues, and we are going to be very tough in enforcing it, but it doesn't deal with Iran's support for terrorism," Deutch said.

He went on to say that the deal also does not address Iran's violation of human rights or their destabilizing influence throughout the region, so he said Tillerson should tell allies that he will target that "bad behavior."

Deutch publicly opposed the nuclear deal in August 2015 when he wrote an op-ed in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, calling it "concerning."

The unwarranted giveaways for Iran tucked inside this deal are also concerning. Lifting the arms embargo in five years lets Iran procure the sophisticated missile defense systems they need to guard the nuclear weapons they want. And suspending the ballistic weapons ban after eight years allows Iran to develop the technology to deliver a weapon anywhere in the world.

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After a decade in public life working to stop Iran from ever acquiring nuclear weapons, I cannot support a deal giving Iran billions of dollars in sanctions relief – in return for letting it maintain an advanced nuclear program and the infrastructure of a threshold nuclear state.