Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) announced on Thursday that he will vote against the Iran nuclear deal.
In a firmly-worded op-ed in the Palm Beach Post, Hastings explained:
After careful review, I have decided that I cannot support this deal. The goal of the recently concluded negotiations was to prevent Iran from obtaining a nucelar weapon. The negotiators worked diligently, but in the end, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) allows Iran to remain a nuclear threshold state while simultaneously reaping the benefits of relief from international sanctions.
“Under the JCPOA, Iran is limited to approximately 6,100 first-generation IR-1 centrifuges for a period of 10-15 years. However, after this time passes, Iran will again have the ability to pursue its nuclear program with more advanced centrifuges. Iran simply needs to be patient and it will once again have the ability to enrich uranium,” he added.
The Florida Democrat explained that the deal allows for Iran to “restart its nuclear-capable ballistic missile development program within eight years.”
As part of the deal, “Billions of dollars will be injected into the Iranian economy as sanctions are lifted,” he said, warning that the money is “likely to be directed toward state-sponsored terrorist groups, such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah, Houthi and Hamas.”
The representative of Florida’s 20th district said he planned to introduce legislation on September 8 “that authorizes the sitting president or his successors to use military force to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons state.”
According to OpenCongress, Hastings votes with the Democratic Party 95.6 percent of the time, ranking 14th out of 204 House Democrats.
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