Washington, D.C.– Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) released the following statement after voting against the Iran nuclear deal.

“The nuclear agreement with Iran falls far short of what is acceptable when measured with the objectives laid out by both Congress and the Administration at the beginning of this process. The laundry list of problems with the deal – no ‘anytime, anywhere’ inspections, the lifting of the arms embargo, and continued Iranian enrichment capabilities – have made it impossible for me to support this agreement and is the reason why I voted against it today. I’m not alone in the belief that this deal falls short of achieving the goals of safety, stability, and security. In fact, a bipartisan majority in Congress and nearly four out of every five Americans think that this deal is not the right path for us to take.

“Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism and a destabilizing force in the Middle East. Because of this, any deal should be verifiable, enforceable, and accountable – principles that this agreement does not include. Whether it’s a regional arms race, increased funding for terrorist groups like Hezbollah, or Iran successfully building a nuclear weapon, I’m deeply concerned that we will be living with the negative ramifications of this bad deal for years to come.”

Congressman Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Congressman Paulsen’s work in Congress visit paulsen.house.gov. 

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