Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action

Floor Speech

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement reached between the P5+1 nations and Iran.

This month marks the 70th anniversary of the nuclear age. The dangers of nuclear war remain very real but the path to contain the nuclear demon has not been easy. The Iran Nuclear Agreement is the latest attempt to reduce the nuclear danger and perhaps one of the most complex set of issues ever confronted in shaping an international agreement.

In my judgment this agreement enhances the security of the United States and reduces the likelihood of nuclear confrontation in the Mideast. Failure to accept the terms of this agreement, on the other hand, seems likely to either exclude the United States from a role in preventing nuclear proliferation in the Mideast as other nations move ahead without us or, more ominously, set the region on a path of escalating tensions. I believe either of those last two options are unacceptable, and reckless. With determination, patience and U.S. leadership, this agreement has the potential of opening the door to further agreements on non-nuclear security issues.

No agreement is perfect and no agreement will fully satisfy everyone. Agreements negotiated with our adversaries by their nature mean that we are seeking to achieve our security goals by diplomatic means not by imposing our will by military means. U.S. security experts have expressed their support for the agreement as the best option as have our nation's nuclear experts. Leading Israeli security experts have also voiced their support as have the leaders of many leading U.S. Jewish organizations because of their concerns for Israel's security. Should our diplomatic efforts in this agreement fail to close the path to an Iranian nuclear weapon we would still be in a better position as to time and means to choose other options.

I commend President Obama and Secretary Kerry for their leadership on this issue. The stakes for the United States, for the Mideast region and for the world are too high for us to miss this opportunity.

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