Daily Press - From Va's Capital Hill crew, a Few Reactions to the Iran Deal

News Article

By Dave Ress

First off the draw in Virginia's Capitol Hill squad with reactions to the Iran nuclear agreement that Congress will now consider were two senators saying he wants to study hard and two members of Congress saying they didn't like it much.

Here's what they said:

Sen. Mark R. Warner "will review this agreement with the utmost attention to detail, given the incredible importance of getting an agreement of this magnitude right."
Warner added: "I will pay close attention to the dismantling of Iran's illegal nuclear weapons program; ensuring an intrusive and reliable verification process; and ensuring a graduated process of sanctions relief entirely dependent upon Iran's compliance, along with a process for re-imposing U.S. and international sanctions if Iran violates terms of the agreement.

Sen Tim Kaine praised U.S. diplomats for their efforts.

"A nation's commitment to diplomacy is every bit as important as its commitment to military strength," he said.

"One of the key reasons I co-authored the bipartisan Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, even over the initial objections of many in my party and the Administration, was to provide Congress a clear and constructive way to review a final nuclear deal." Kaine added. "I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to analyze this deal in the days and weeks ahead."

Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Virginia Beach, promises a careful read to see if the deal makes the United States safer, makes Israel safer, includes inspection provisions to ensure access to all Iranian sites at any time, as well as whether it prevents Iran from producing a nuclear weapon.

"My initial assessment, based on preliminary reports, is that the proposed agreement fails on all four counts," he said.

Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Chesapeake, said: "I continue to have grave concerns about the impact of the Administration's nuclear deal with Iran on security in the region, as well as doubts that an increasingly aggressive Iran -- as a U.S. designated state-sponsor of terrorism and the developer of a robust ballistic missile capability -- can or should be trusted to uphold their end of the agreement."