Georgia congressional reaction to Iran nuclear deal

WASHINGTON — Both of Georgia’s U.S. senators said today that the nuclear agreement negotiators for the United States and five nations reached with Iran is not a done deal and that they are concerned it doesn’t go far enough to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

“Let’s be clear, this agreement is not final,” Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., said this morning. “Georgians and the American people, through Congressional representation, must sign off on the negotiated terms, and because of our bipartisan efforts Congress will have 60 days to do so.

“As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, I will review this agreement with the utmost scrutiny to ensure we remain steadfast in our efforts to halt the expansion of nuclear arms now and down the road.”

Perdue said he is concerned the agreement will still allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.

“Right now, I remain extremely concerned that this deal does not go far enough to fully prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability and ensure anytime, anywhere inspections access of all nuclear and military sites,” he said. “If this requires walking away from such a deal and strengthening sanctions, I will encourage President Obama to consider this course of action.

“To be clear, rejecting this agreement is not condoning war, it is standing firm for peace and against Iranian aggression.”

Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., said he wanted no part of a deal that would allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and that he would go over every facet of the agreement.

“As a member of the United States Senate, and of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I have a critical role in judgment over the deal that’s been made by the president of the United States and the Iranian government,” Isakson said. “Iranians have never proven to be a trustworthy negotiator, nor have they been trustworthy in their actions with the United States. Iran has said that we are their stated enemy.

“I will study the deal closely, I will do my responsibility, I will read the appendices and I’ll go to all the briefings, both the secure and unsecure. But I will promise you this: I will not be part of any agreement that allows the Iranians to develop a nuclear weapon that could harm the state of Israel, the country of the United States of America or any other peace-loving country in the world.”

Isakson said his vote on the Iran matter may be “the most important vote I ever cast as a member of the Senate or the Congress. This vote is about the future of our country, peace in the Middle East, the sanctity of our country, peace for our children and peace for our grandchildren. This is a vote which I will take seriously and I will make sure I do the right thing for the American people.”

In the House, U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, said it was vital that Congress scrutinize the deal “to ensure the U.S. and its allies’ security interests are maintained for the future. We must remain especially vigilant by ensuring the agreement holds Iran to the highest standards of transparency and accountability.”

Bishop said improved relations with Iran may be an opportunity to stabilize the region, but only if certain conditions are met.

“The opportunity to improve our relationship with Iran could potentially lead to greater stability in a region torn apart by war and religious strife,” Bishop said. “Nevertheless, we must not be na