MY DECISION ON THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL

On July 14th, Iran and a group of six nations led by the United States reached an agreement with Iran over the future of its nuclear program. Because of oversight demanded by Congress and the American people through legislation we passed in May, we have the authority to review and hold an up or down vote on this deal. That vote will take place not long after Congress returns from the summer district work period in September.

I will be voting against the agreement and for the resolution of disapproval in Congress along with other colleagues on both sides of the aisle.  

Like many Americans, I want to see Iran come into the world community to be a peaceful partner. But the reality is, Iran has a track record of deceit, broken agreements, and lies. They still chant death to America. They are holding four Americans hostage with no indication that they plan to release them. They do not recognize our strong ally Israel as a sovereign nation; in fact they are committed to its destruction. Since 1984, Iran has been identified as an official state sponsor of terrorism and they continue to be sympathetic to and have supported terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah that threaten our ally Israel and Americans in the region. 

Those are the facts. There is no way to sugarcoat it. And, regardless of who negotiated this agreement for the United States or what political party they belong to, my position has always been that this or any agreement must be looked at and studied on its merits. 

While I began this process with skepticism and a distrust of Iran, my decision was not quickly reached. I spent the past four weeks reading through the actual agreement, talking with experts, and listening to the many opinions of Iowans throughout the 3rd District.

I studied the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - also known as the "Iran Deal". I read the agreement and annexes. I looked at this deal on its merits. And I encouraged my colleagues and Iowans to do the same. I immediately put it up on my website: www.davidyoung.house.gov and posted the details on social media so Iowans had immediate access to exactly what Congress was reading.

After reading the deal, I came away with grave concerns the inspection and verification regime is just not tough enough. Inspection and verification of nuclear sites are not anytime and anywhere in the agreement. It could take weeks to get access to these nuclear sites. That is simply too much time that Iran could use to conceal its activities. 

President Reagan used to say trust, but verify. In this situation, with an actor like Iran, the order must be reversed - verify, and then trust. Iran must prove to the United States and to the world that their word matters with actions on the front end. Only then can we begin to trust them.

Another challenge is the impact of sanctions being reinstated. Yes the sanctions can "snap" back if Iran cheats, but the vehicle or legal ability that lets the president do that, the Iran Sanctions Act, is set to expire in late 2016. Furthermore, about $150 billion in assets would be immediately unfrozen and opened up to Iran. This is not a small amount of money we are talking about, and it would be naïve to think at least some of it wouldn't go to purchasing weapons and supporting terrorist organizations. If Iran cheats on the deal, there is no way to get that money back.   

Then there is the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) which holds the now well reported "secret" side agreement. If the deal the six nations made with Iran were to go into effect, only then would the IAEA finalize a separate and secret deal with Iran on how inspections would take place. Just two weeks ago I joined a bi-partisan delegation of six Members of Congress to meet with the IAEA in Vienna, Austria. We asked the IAEA representatives, but were denied the opportunity to view the side agreement. In fact, the IAEA isn't required to show the United States or any other country's officials the text of the side deal. It should trouble every American the agreement we can read opens the door to side agreements we are not permitted to review or vote on.  

Ultimately, this is a vote of conscience. This deal is fatally flawed, lacking proper transparency and accountability. I support a diplomatic solution and I applaud President Obama, U.S. Department of State Secretary Kerry and others for seeking a diplomatic solution and urge them to continue diplomacy. 

The deal presented to Congress and the American people poses too great a threat with the world ultimately facing a nuclear-armed Iran. It is right to oppose this deal.