Congressional reaction largely divided along party lines.
But some in GOP line up with Dems in criticizing move
WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats, including several who initially opposed the Iran nuclear deal, lashed out Tuesday at President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to end U.S. participation in the pact, while praise came from many — but not all — in the GOP.
Most Republicans accepted Trump’s argument that the landmark multinational agreement was fundamentally flawed and that efforts to contain Iran had to expand beyond its nuclear program.
But Trump critics lamented a move they say only puts the world, and especially allies in the Middle East, at greater risk.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vigorously opposed the deal at its inception in 2015 and then its execution the following year. On Tuesday, however, he said alienating U.S. allies who helped negotiate the deal will weaken joint efforts to rein in Iran’s support for militant groups such as Hezbollah.
“By dividing our allies … you’re making it harder to go after Hezbollah, you’re making it harder to go after Iranian activities that are really dangerous, and you’re probably making it harder to come to a North Korea deal.”
Numerous skeptics have warned that the U.S. abrogation of the deal with Iran will cause North Korea to be wary of any agreement with the Trump administration, which plans nuclear talks with Pyongyang in the coming weeks.
Like Schumer, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, initially opposed the deal but said Tuesday that walking away from it was a “grave mistake.”
“With this decision President Trump is risking U.S. national security, recklessly upending foundational partnerships with key U.S. allies in Europe and gambling with Israel’s security,” Menendez said. “Today’s withdrawal ... makes it more likely Iran will restart its nuclear weapons program in the future.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, a fierce critic of Iran, supported Trump’s decision to withdraw from what the Florida Republican called a “flawed and dangerous agreement that is beyond fixing.”
“Today’s announcement will have an IMMEDIATE chilling effect on lucrative deals with Iranian regime,” Rubio said via Twitter.
One of his and Trump’s principal complaints was the return of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, which Rubio argues Iranian officials spent on producing ballistic missiles, not improving the welfare of the country’s citizens.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., echoed those sentiments, although he insisted that he would rather have fixed the deal.
But Ryan added, “The president’s announcement today is a strong statement that we can and must do better. … The president is right to insist that we hold Iran accountable both today and for the long-term.”
There were scattered voices of dissent, however, among Republicans.
Rep. Mike Turner of Illinois, who chairs a House Armed Services subcommittee, said the Iran deal was “deeply flawed” and its provisions for inspections insufficient.
But Turner said that “without proof that Iran is in violation of the agreement, it is a mistake to fully withdraw from this deal. … Now we need to work with our allies to fix this flawed agreement to ensure the world is not facing a nuclear Iran.”
Rep. Mac Thornberry, RTexas, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he would have preferred to give European allies more time to strengthen the deal.
“A strong, international effort is required to curtail Iran’s aggressive behavior in a number of areas,” he said.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he hoped Trump’s decision to exit the deal has not doomed future negotiations.
“It is disappointing that the administration was unable to reach an agreement with our allies,” Corker said. “However, based on conversations I have had in recent days, it is my sense that the administration will move quickly to work toward a better deal” that prevents Iran from being able to produce a nuclear weapon.
Republican Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, a frequent critic of Trump, also said the decision was a mistake that “has gotten us nothing other than to remove constraints on Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons” and create disunity at a time when the United States must confront challenges from Russia and China.