Senator Menendez Takes Apart the Iran Nuclear Deal

Democratic New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez gave a powerful speech yesterday announcing his strong opposition to the nuclear agreement with Iran. The speech was a devastating indictment of the Iran agreement that refutes the many questionable arguments in defense of the deal by the Obama administration. Menendez also discusses the origins of the agreement and its long term implications. Click HERE to read the full text

A few highlights from the speech.

Senator Menendez prefaced his remarks by noting he is a strong supporter of President Obama. He also took issue with statements by the president that opponents of the Iran deal are the same people who pushed the United States into the Iraq War.

“Unlike President Obama’s characterization of those who have raised serious questions about the agreement, or who have opposed it, I did not vote for the war in Iraq, I opposed it, unlike the Vice President and the Secretary of State, who both supported it. My vote against the Iraq war was unpopular at the time, but it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

“I also don’t come to this question as someone, unlike many of my Republican colleagues, who reflexively oppose everything the President proposes. In fact, I have supported President Obama, according to Congressional Quarterly, 98 percent of the time in 2013 and 2014.

Menendez made a fundamental point that has not been heard in a while: Why does Iran need nuclear power?

“Why does Iran — which has the world’s fourth largest proven oil reserves, with 157 billion barrels of crude oil and the world’s second largest proven natural gas reserves with 1,193 trillion cubic feet of natural gas — need nuclear power for domestic energy?”

As Under Secretary of State for Arms Control from 2001-2005, John Bolton frequently made this argument. It coincides with Iran’s inability to explain why it needs to enrich uranium. I explored this issue in an April 10, 2015 National Review article Why is Iran Enriching Uranium? I am glad Senator Menendez has revived these issues in the debate over Iran’s nuclear program.

Menendez bluntly discusses how the Obama administration broke its word on how it would address key elements of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure when he said that although Obama officials vowed the Fordow enrichment facility would be closed and the plutonium-producing Arak reactor would be dismantled or destroyed, the nuclear deal leaves both facilities open and operational.

Menendez said the nuclear agreement does nothing to reduce the threat from Iran’s nuclear program.

“This deal grants Iran permanent sanctions relief in exchange for only temporary – temporary — limitations on its nuclear program – not a rolling-back, not dismantlement, but temporary limitations.”

His bottom line on his opposition to the nuclear deal was devastating.

“If Iran is to acquire a nuclear bomb, it will not have my name on it.”

Naturally, the Obama administration and its supporters dismissed Menendez’s criticism of the Iran deal and pointed to other congressmen who have announced their support. I believe Menendez’s scathing and detailed repudiation of the deal will be difficult for its supporters to counter and likely will lead more Democratic members of Congress to put politics aside and announce their opposition to this dangerous agreement.