Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said that Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill would work to preserve economic sanctions on Iran just a day after the Obama administration inked a nuclear deal that would lift economic pressure on Tehran.
Schumer told a Jewish audience on Sunday that both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate were united in opposition to several portions of the deal, which would unfreeze some Iranian assets in exchange for a temporary halt to Iran’s nuclear work.
"Democrats and Republicans are going to work to see that we don’t let up on these sanctions … until Iran gives up not only all of their weapons but all nuclear weapon capabilities," Schumer said on Sunday evening at OHEL’s 44th annual gala, according to video of his speech recorded by JP Updates.
"I want to leave you with that assurance," he told the crowd to applause.
"Iran remains Israel’s most pressing regional threat," Schumer said.
"But there is only one threat because every time the Arab world, the Palestinians have risen against us, we have risen to defeat them," Schumer said. "But the one existential threat to Israel’s existence is a nuclear Iran."
"When you use the world existential it sounds very philosophical, but it’s a very simple word. It means existence," Schumer said. "The very idea of a nuclear Iran is a threat to the entire state of Israel’s existence."
"Together, united we must do everything, everything, everything that it takes to prevent Iran from getting a nuke," Schumer added.