Lawmakers from Hawaii are reacting to the news that the White House has reached what’s described as an “historic” nuclear deal with Iran. (Read the full text here.)
“No deal means no lasting constraints on Iran’s nuclear program.” —@POTUS #IranDeal http://t.co/Rc09pTCb6z
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 14, 2015
Here’s what they had to say:
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono:
“I will carefully review the historic, comprehensive nuclear agreement reached today with Iran. I have long supported sanctions against Iran to prevent it from gaining nuclear weapons, sanctions which caused Iran to come to the table to negotiate an agreement. …
“While Congress will spend the next several weeks using our authority to thoughtfully examine the agreement with great scrutiny, Iran will have to earn sanctions relief through consistent compliance. The pathway to implementing a deal to effectively prevent Iran from obtaining or developing a nuclear weapon is in sight.”
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz:
“The accord announced in Vienna today marks a watershed moment in our pursuit to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. I will review the final deal to ensure that it effectively prevents Iran from acquiring the material it would need to develop a nuclear bomb, has sufficient limits on Iran’s nuclear weapons-related infrastructure, and that the inspection and transparency regime for holding Iran accountable is robust and will protect the interests of the United States and its allies, especially Israel.
“If this is a good deal, it is the first step in a long road to blocking Iran’s access to a nuclear weapon, and we must remain vigilant to ensure Iranian compliance. Our guiding principle must continue to be distrust but verify.”
U.S. Rep. Mark Takai:
“I have consistently advocated for diplomatic solutions to our nation’s foreign policy objectives, and appreciate the Administration’s efforts to reach an agreement with Iran regarding their nuclear program. … I look forward to an open debate on the merits of this deal, and hope that in the end it will meet standards that will help improve the regional security in the Middle East.
“The objectives of verification and dismantlement must be of the highest quality, which will in turn improve the national security of both the United States and our allies.”
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard:
“What’s most important is that our nation’s leaders stay focused on what is in our nation’s best interest, and not allow partisan politics to interfere with their objectivity. We need to see a tough, verifiable inspections regime that applies anytime and anywhere, including military sites. Sanctions relief must be tied tightly to Iran’s compliance with the deal. Actual snap-back sanctions and enforcement mechanisms must be in place.
“We cannot afford to make the same mistake with Iran that was made with North Korea. The failure to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons has resulted in an unacceptable threat: North Korea’s long-range missiles, coupled with its nuclear warhead stockpile, puts my home state of Hawaii and the West Coast directly in Pyongyang’s cross-hairs. …”
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About the Author
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Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on X at @chadblairCB.