Crapo Wants Review Of Any Iran Arms Deal

Washington, D.C.  - Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has co-sponsored bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) that requires congressional review of any forthcoming nuclear proliferation agreement with Iran.  Co-sponsors of the legislation include Idaho Senator Jim Risch and Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Heidi Heitkamp (D-North Dakota), Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), John McCain (R-Arizona),  Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey), Bill Nelson (D-Florida) and Marco Rubio (R-Florida). 

S. 615 would require the submission of any agreement to Congress and permit legislative review under expedited disapproval procedures.  It would reinstate economic sanctions temporarily lifted if Iran is found not in compliance with the accord or International Atomic Energy Agency inspection or monitoring requests and would also reinstate sanctions currently waived if a long-term agreement is not reached by July of this year. 

Crapo attended yesterday's address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before a joint session of Congress.  He called the speech a "wake up call" concerning the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.  Crapo agreed with Netanyahu that "no deal is better than a bad deal" that could leave Iran able to produce nuclear weapons and continue a history of aggression in the Middle East.  

""The Prime Minister is right," Crapo said.  "No deal is better than a bad deal.  We should not reward Iran for its past actions by relaxing economic sanctions in return for a brief pause in the development of a nuclear bomb. Iran is also the leading state sponsor of international terrorism and currently jails Americans, such as Pastor Abedini, and others.  A deal that allows Tehran to expand its dark reach is a dangerous precedent. 

"The Prime Minister's speech refocuses our attention, and the attention of the world, on the reality of Iran's intention:  namely, that they will seek the capability to produce and use nuclear weaponry," Crapo added.  "The president must not make a deal that makes it even easier for Iran to accomplish their obvious objective.  I thank the Prime Minister for his clarity and courage." 

Crapo urged Idahoans to view the Prime Minister's address.  Highlights of the address are available on the Senator's website and Facebook page.  The entire speech as televised by C-SPAN is available here: 

http://www.c-span.org/video/?324609-2/israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-address-congress