Iran and Diplomacy

Floor Speech

Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, as the diplomats gather in Geneva today, I applaud their hard work in moving toward an interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear challenge.

After years of confrontation, today marks an important moment for all of us who support a diplomatic solution. We have spent a great deal of time to get to this place: taxpayer dollars, political capital, and global influence. We must not turn back now.

Right now, we have the maximum amount of leverage for a deal vis-a-vis Iran without fracturing the international coalition. Therefore, we should focus 100 percent on reaching a deal in Geneva under the P5+1 framework. It is absolutely critical.

Like using a wrench to tighten a nut, you can strip it if you push too hard. We have pushed to exactly the right point, and I hope that we will be successful.

We must, however, remember Mr. Reagan said, ``Trust, but verify.'' It is possible to prevent nuclear problems if we trust, but verify. That is what these diplomats are doing.

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