State of the Union: Obama Will Veto Legislation That Might Derail a Diplomatic Deal to Deny Iran a Nuclear Weapon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amanda Waldron
awaldron@armscontrolcenter.org
202.546.0795 X 2115
In tonight’s State of the Union address, President Barack Obama reaffirmed his commitment to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. He assured Congress and the nation that progress is being made through tough negotiations. He also vowed to veto any legislation that might threaten the talks with sanctions. Council for a Livable World, and its sister research organization, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, stand by the President’s historic diplomatic efforts and urge Congress to stand down and allow the time and space needed for a verifiable deal between the U.S. and its P5+1 partners and Iran.
Angela Canterbury, Executive Director of Council for a Livable World and the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation said:
“The President is standing firm in his resolve to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. We stand with him, and urge Congress to stand down. Progress is being made with these historic talks, and now is not the time for Congress to act. As the President said, it doesn’t make sense—unless of course Congress would prefer to allow Iran to continue with its nuclear program and for the U.S. to go to war.”
A confidential U.N. report says that Iran continues to honor the terms of the interim agreement, the Joint Plan of Action, having frozen its nuclear program. Meanwhile, the Senate has scheduled a mark-up of a new sanctions bill for next week.
“New sanctions are a violation of the interim deal. They don’t just risk undermining the progress our negotiators have made toward securing a deal, they risk offering a convenient excuse for Iran to walk away from the table, leaving only the US to blame,” said Laicie Heeley, Policy Director at the Center and Council.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said this week that new sanctions would “really jeopardise the negotiations and the approach we have had so far.”
Our international partners are united in their determination to prevent an Iranian nuclear weapon. “Obama has said he will be the first to impose new sanctions if his administration fails to strike a deal,” said Heeley, “Now is not the time to break ranks.”
Angela Canterbury, Laicie Heeley and other members of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation are available for further comment and broadcast bookings by contacting Amanda Waldron at 202.546.0795 X 2115 or awaldron@armscontrolcenter.org.
####The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation is a Washington-based non-profit think tank working to reduce the number of nuclear weapons stockpiled across the globe, increase international nonproliferation programs targeted at preventing the further proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear terrorism, redirect U.S. military spending to address 21st century security threat,s and halt the proliferation of biological and chemical weapons. The Center is the (c)(3) cwww.ArmsControlCenter.org
