Congressman John Garamendi’s statement on P5+1 agreement with Iran

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, CA) issued the following statement on the Iranian nuclear arms deal:

"I congratulate President Obama and Secretary Kerry on the painstaking effort required to reach a nuclear agreement between Iran and the international community. The framework under which the current deal was negotiated is the best available option to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

"We can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Without this deal, Iran would be able to resume development of its nuclear program without international supervision and enrich enough uranium for a bomb in as little as three months. Furthermore, if America were to simply walk away from this deal, it’s likely that the strong multilateral sanctions regime would collapse. The military option is just as bad: it would only set Iran’s program back by a few years, destabilize an already volatile region, and possibly lead to a wider military confrontation.

"Congress now has time to review and vote on the agreement. I look forward to making sure that the terms of the deal block all of Iran’s pathways to a bomb and advance the security interests of the United States and our allies throughout the world."