[Page H5879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                   JOINT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION

  (Mr. MOULTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to ask a simple 
question of those who oppose the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
  Can you show me a viable alternative to this agreement that will lead 
to tougher international sanctions on Iran and prevent Iran from 
acquiring a nuclear weapon?
  Scholars and diplomats, including President Bush's Iran negotiator, 
Ambassador Nicholas Burns, have stated before Members of this very body 
that there is no way we will be able to keep Russia, China, and India 
in the sanctions regime if we reject this agreement. We tried secondary 
sanctions in 1996, and they failed. Our European allies have made it 
clear that, should the United States reject this agreement, we are on 
our own.
  Despite these facts, it baffles me that some of my colleagues have 
concluded that, by rejecting this agreement, we can somehow get a 
better deal with less leverage.
  No deal is perfect, especially one negotiated among adversaries, but 
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the best option we have on 
the table today. This agreement puts the United States in a better 
position to confront the Iranian regime's threat to world peace.

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