“…I am actually struck that Democrats and Republicans agree. We all agree that the Iranian agreement is flawed, that it does not achieve the objectives originally defined by President Obama and everyone is worried that the Iranians will use a portion of the $50 to 100 billion that they receive as a result of this agreement to advance the cause of terrorism.
“What we do not agree on is whether or not the administration could have and can get a better deal. Ironically, Republicans have more faith in the President than the President’s fellow Democrats do…
“Typically the stronger party in a negotiation gets the better deal. It seems as if the U.S. and our allies were the stronger party.
“Iran’s economy is in terrible shape. The regime’s survival is threatened by dissatisfaction with 25 years of a corrupt, theocratic autocracy with economic mismanagement. Iran needs to earn $130/ barrel of oil to meet the government’s obligations and oil is far below that. Iran’s trading partners are limited. And aside from this, the Iranian people want freedom. There is discontent with the regime.
“But far from the stronger party prevailing, this agreement concedes on the very goals it sought to achieve. We pursued this agreement with the intention of ridding Iran of its nuclear program. Instead, we have agreed to lift sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy and give them immediate access to $60 billion dollars, essentially bailing out a struggling regime. And it’s fair to ask, in return for what?
“…I will now discuss something, which has not been discussed in relation to the Iranian agreement, but I am surprised is not of greater concern to Democrats.
“In its environmental impact statement issued in February 2014, the State Department estimated that the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would ultimately carry 830,000 barrels of oil daily, could increase emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases by 1.3 to 27.4 million metric tons annually.
“Based on these calculations, President Obama denied Americans a chance to expand our energy independence and create 40,000 direct and many more indirect jobs.
“If this deal goes through, the Iranian oil minister stated that Iran could send 500,000 barrels of oil per day to the market immediately upon easing of sanctions and up to 1 million barrels of oil per day within 6 months.
“…If Iran increases their oil production by this much it will release 156 million more tons of carbon dioxide per day.
“Now wait a second, if we build the Keystone XL Pipeline, we may have 1.3 million metric tons – we can’t do that because of greenhouse gases- but the Iranian agreement, which the President has said has to occur, will increase greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 156 million metric tons, over a hundred times more…
“…I ask my Democrat colleagues to not have such low expectations of the president and to demand a better deal for the American people. I stand by the assertion that the alternative to this bad deal is not war, but a better deal. I am confident that our nation can stand from a position of power and negotiate the deal we set out to achieve.”
Read the full remarks HERE.