Declaring It is the Policy of the United States That A Nuclear Islamic Republic of Iran is Not Acceptable

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHNEIDER. This House of Representatives has a long history of working to halt Iran's nuclear program. We all know why the terrorist regime in Tehran must never ever obtain a nuclear weapon.

Look at what Iran is doing right now. They are complicit in Hamas' terrorism in Israel. Through proxies the regime is targeting American forces in the region with deadly force. They have built the region's most powerful terrorist organization, Hezbollah, which destabilizes Lebanon and threatens Israel with hundreds of thousands of sophisticated missiles. Iran props up the criminal Assad regime in Syria and the Houthis in Yemen. They interfere with global shipping, evade sanctions, and attempt to murder Israelis and others around the world.

These are only a few of the examples of Iran's nefarious behavior. Imagine what they could and would do if they operated under the safety of a nuclear umbrella.

Democrats and Republicans alike have said for many years: Iran can never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. Since the 2018 ill- conceived withdrawal from the JCPOA, Iran's nuclear program has surged to extraordinarily dangerous levels, and the options to stop Iran from processing weapons grade, 90 percent highly enriched uranium are increasingly limited.

In August, the IAEA reported that Iran's stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium has grown since its May report. Iran now possesses almost 15 times the amount of enriched uranium allowed under the JCPOA. Furthermore, in September, Iran informed the IAEA of its decision to remove about one-third of the IAEA inspectors from the country.

I will argue that we cannot take diplomacy off the table. We must keep all options open, but this is a very dangerous moment in dealing with Iran's nuclear program.

In May, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said: ``We are also engaging Iran diplomatically regarding its nuclear program, and we continue to believe that it was a tragic mistake to leave the deal with nothing at all to replace it. But we have made clear to Iran that it can never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon. As President Biden has repeatedly reaffirmed, he will take the actions that are necessary to stand by this statement, including by recognizing Israel's freedom of action.''

The resolution before us today complements the Biden administration policy of leaving all options on the table, and I am pleased to co-lead it with my friend, Chairman McCaul. I will repeat: The regime in Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.

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Mr. SCHNEIDER. Manning), who is the vice ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 559 is an important restatement of administration policy. The Iranian regime should never ever be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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