There is bipartisan agreement on Capitol Hill that President Barack Obama’s unilateral agreement with Iran – the world’s largest state sponsor of terror – is reckless and will enable Iran to get a nuclear weapon within the next decade.
Across the country, Americans are also united in their opposition to this deal. According to a Quinnipiac poll earlier this month, Americans steadfastly oppose this deal by a 2-1 margin, and believe this deal will make the world less safe.
Tea Party Patriots, the country’s largest tea party activist group, is opposed to the Iran Deal. While we have historically always steered clear of foreign policy issues, instead focusing on pressing domestic issues such as out-of-control federal spending, the Iran Deal is such an egregious example of executive overreach and recklessness that we have decided to fully engage on this fight.
Through the Obama-Iran deal, billions of taxpayer dollars would be awarded to Iran. Additionally, the deal lifts the arms embargo for Iran, allowing the country to export weapons, and, perhaps most distressingly, Iran would be allowed to dictate when and where international inspections of its facilities occur. It defies logic to allow a state-sponsor of terrorism that repeatedly has reneged on its promises to dictate the terms of inspections.
For all of these reasons, and for many others, we at Tea Party Patriots are opposing this deal and are calling on Congress to exercise its authority and stop this terrible deal.
Today, thousands of Tea Party Patriots across the country are visiting their local congressional offices to discuss the Iran Deal with their Senators and U.S. House Representative. These office visits are, quite simply, the most effective engagement tool for grassroots activists. Letters to Members of Congress, letters to editors of local papers, and social media are all worthy engagement techniques, but when it comes to swaying Members of Congress, nothing is as powerful as visits from constituents.
And, because interactions with Congress are so important, Tea Party Patriots activists are joining forces on September 9 in Washington, D.C. for a rally on Capitol Hill. This event will draw thousands of people to the nation’s capitol to voice their concerns about this deal.
For Congress, rubber-stamping President Obama’s Iran Deal means granting consent to a nuclear-armed Iran and to making the world even less safe for the United States and our vulnerable allies in the region. Through our grassroots persuasion over the next few weeks, we are confident that we can convince a handful of Democrats to stand up to the Obama Administration and say no to the recklessness.
Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who opposes the Iran Deal, along with his New York colleague, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, said, “If Iran is to acquire a nuclear bomb, it will not have my name on it.”
Our grassroots activities today at congressional offices and in two weeks on Capitol Hill have the underlying goal of helping more Members of Congress understand what is at stake in this Iran Deal, and to help persuade them to join Sen. Menendez. After all, it really is as simple as Sen. Menendez has made it: Do you want your name on Iran’s bomb?
Jenny Beth Martin is CEO and Co-Founder of Tea Party Patriots.