Statement on President Trump’s Iran Deal Announcement

Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the below statement following President Trump's announcement he will not certify Iran's compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA):

"Preventing Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon, and curbing their malign regional and global influence is of paramount importance for American national security and the security of our allies. We must be clear-eyed in what actions move us closer and further away from this objective.

"While I opposed the JCPOA, now that it's in place, we must aggressively and rigorously enforce it. The urgent responsibility of our government at this time, in conjunction with our partners and our regional allies, is to develop a comprehensive strategy and commit the necessary resources to work to close the gaps and reduce the risks in the JCPOA, including the sunset provisions.

"As many national security experts have advised in testimony to Congress and elsewhere, we should be strengthening the parameters of the JCPOA, not seeking to unravel it. President Trump's decision not to certify under the terms of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA) jeopardizes the restrictions already in place on Iran's nuclear activity at a time when we should be urgently working to shore up the Iran Deal's shortcomings and holding Iran to account for its dangerous behavior outside the agreement.

"That includes Iran's support for Hizballah and other terrorist proxies, illicit weapons transfers, ballistic missile program, and human rights abuses. The President's decision risks isolating us from our international allies at the exact moment we need to work together to accomplish these goals."