In Memory of Elanor Benson

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. Speaker, we have been having a really great conversation here, and I hope that everyone who has the responsibility of casting a vote on this so-called deal that the President has brought us has been listening very closely.

   Mr. Speaker, the President wants Congress to approve what I would call an absurd deal that eases the path for an avowed enemy of the United States of America's and our allies to unleash a nightmare on the world.

   I want us to take a look--and I ask the supporters of this deal to take a look--at what Iran has done to merit our trust.

   We first saw these guys way back in the Carter administration when they stormed our American Embassy and took our people hostage and held those people for, I believe it was, 42 days. They abused them in every way they could think of. Quite honestly, they finally released them after pressure was placed on them. Since that time, I cannot think of a single instance where dealing with Iran has been a positive thing. In fact, let's look at the public face they put on.

   They still chant ``death to America.'' I heard them chant ``death to America'' last night on television and ``death to Israel,'' one of our allies. They still support terror groups, and we just heard from the chairman of the committee of all of the terror groups that they will be able to support after this deal is done. They are still governed by cabal fanatics who are hellbent on spreading their perverted view of their faith.

   Now, is this a nation we should choose to strike a deal with--to make a nuclear deal?

   To those people who say they support this, I would like you to make sure you have confidence in the people we are making a deal with. I don't know what the rest of the world calls a deal, but, generally, when you are making a deal, both sides have some kind of benefit. I can see all kinds of things that we are giving to these folks, to Iran, including a big bucketful of money--billions of dollars. Basically, we have given them everything that they desired as far as going forward. Our inspections are questionable.

   My question is: What is the United States of America getting out of this deal?

   We are getting a promise from a regime that has a long history--almost 50 years--of lying whenever it serves their purpose. We are taking their word that they are going to do certain things, and we are getting nothing else from this bill but their word.

   Think about the cost if this is not the right deal. Those of you who are really thinking about America, think about the cost. To make a mistake on this vote is, quite honestly, catastrophic. Then there is the horror that would come to pass if they actually were to detonate a nuclear device if, for some reason, our failure to do the right thing caused them to get on the fast track to get their hands on it. The blood will be on the hands of those who didn't take the time to decide: Are these trustworthy people for us to be dealing with? I would argue, they have no track record by which to argue that they are trustworthy.

   Tomorrow's vote is probably as important a vote as anyone in this Chamber will ever take because it is a vote that could unleash nuclear war in the Middle East as a result of our failure to cut a real deal. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to think about this--to stand with America, to stand with Israel, to stand with those who oppose state sponsors of terrorism, and to oppose President Obama's irresponsible and dangerous Iran agreement.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source