Illinois Republican Rep. Peter Roskam introduced heavily supported legislation on Wednesday condemning the recent Iranian nuclear deal.
The bill, known as House Resolution 367, is backed by 171 co-sponsors. Among these co-sponsors, 14 out of 22 House committee chairmen signed on to the bill. It is specifically meant to “express the sense of the House of Representatives in disapproval of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreed to by the P5+1 and Iran on July 14, 2015.”
Congressman Roskam crafted the legislation to garner support for an upcoming September vote on a formal denouncement of the aforementioned nuclear deal.
In addition to the bill, Roskam wrote an op-ed for the Times of Israel. His condemnation is not surprising, as Illinois’ sixth District congressman is also co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus.
“The Administration decided to negotiate in good faith with a murderous regime” Roskam wrote, stating that, “Iran was rewarded with billions of dollars in sanctions relief for simply coming to the negotiating table.”
The congressmen lamented the fact that “longstanding international prohibitions on Theran” intended to prevent their ability to gain a nuclear weapon were dismissed. Instead, they were replaced with a dangerous compromise that “will, at best, only temporarily delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions”.
Insinuating Barack Obama made the deal for his own historical place in diplomacy, the Republican congressman claimed the deal was passed because the administration is “unable to abandon its helpless search for a foreign policy legacy.”
His sentiments are felt by many in his own party, with several Republican presidential candidates issuing similar statements. “President Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran will be remembered as one of America’s worst diplomatic failures,” said Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
The congressman urged readers to contact their representatives and ask they co-sponsor H. Res 367. Calling upon the American people to voice their dissatisfaction to their elected officials, Roskam claimed “we can still prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon”.