Three Votes to Reject the Iran Nuclear Deal

Washington, D.C.—Congressman Tom Marino (PA-10) voted on three legislative proposals this week to reject President Obama’s so-called “deal” with the radical Iranian regime regarding its development of a nuclear weapons program.

Two votes were held today and one yesterday. Congressman Marino’s votes were as follows:

• YES on the adoption of H. Res. 411 – Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015
• NO on passage of H.R. 3461 – To Approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (signed in Vienna on July 14, 2015)
• YES on passage of H.R. 3460 – To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran

Marino voted in favor of H. Res. 411 because President Obama failed to present Congress with all aspects of the proposed agreement which is in direct violation of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (also referred to as the “Corker-Cardin bill”). 

He voted against H.R. 3461, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which is the agreement the Obama Administration brokered with the Iranian regime to lift sanctions and allow several avenues for the procurement of fissile material and weapons delivery systems.

Marino voted in favor of H.R. 3460, the final in this series of important votes, which disallows the President of the United States from altering or lessening U.S.–imposed sanctions favorable to Iran. All three bills passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming support.

Marino issued the following statement regarding these votes and the proposed agreement:

“This is not a deal, it is a scam. Bringing this shoddily crafted agreement to the American people is an insult to our values, our allies and to peace. Not only was the President’s endeavor to deal with the world’s largest state-sponsor of terrorism needless but it was a fool’s errand. Yet, I am not surprised at this President’s uncanny ability to snub our allies, endanger our national security and placate radicals in the name of his legacy.

“The votes my colleagues and I cast this week should be seen as the unequivocal rejection of this deal. As long as this president routinely seeks to bypass Congress’ constitutional authority, we will oppose it with every legislative mechanism possible. That is why we voted on three bills that exposed the fallibility of this so-called agreement.

These votes further demonstrate that Republicans value the rule of law and adhere to it – unlike the President who has a habit of seeking every bypass available to avoid Congressional authority.

“While some self-important politicians chose to support the President’s proposal, it is they who will have to answer for the damage an unleashed Iran will do. It is they who will have to answer for the lifting of sanctions injecting billions into the radical regime’s economy. It is they who will have to answer for the continued enrichment of uranium and ICBM development. It is they who must answer for all the unforeseen, and surely dangerous, positions America and our allies will be forced to navigate in the coming years.

“Furthermore, as Vice President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I can assure the American people that far more of our allies oppose this deal than what their heads of state or our President are willing to let on. I have been a part of these discussions from the beginning.

“Our allied diplomats disagree with this ‘deal’ as much we do. They rejected the fallacy that an absence of a deal would lead to an all-or-nothing proposition of war with Iran. Instead, we contended that Iran would have rattled its sabers but ultimately come groveling back to the table because our sanctions program was working.

“I rejected the premise of these negotiations from the onset and wholeheartedly reject this deal. It is my hope the Senate will utilize every maneuver possible to reject this deal and send a strong message to the President that Congress stands with the American people who also oppose this deal 2:1. We must not allow Iran to further destabilize the region and advance their efforts to threaten the very existence of their neighbors and our allies.”

###