Kirk, Durbin clash over Republicans letter to Iran
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk is one of 47 Republicans who signed a letter to Iranian leaders saying a nuclear deal the country works out with President Barack Obama's administration could be reversed someday.
“The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time,” the letter reads.
Kirk, a Highland Park Republican, is a co-author of legislation that would impose sanctions on Iran if it tries to increase its nuclear stockpile should talks with the administration fail.
“Sanctions should not be weakened until Iran stops its nuclear weapons program, stops supporting and exporting terrorism, stops aggression against its neighbors, stops egregious human rights abuses and stops threatening to annihilate Israel,” Kirk said in a statement.
But Democrats including U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Springfield said the letter is a “cynical” effort to “undermine” talks.
“Understand that if these negotiations fail, a military response to Iran developing their nuclear capability becomes more likely,” Durbin said in a statement. “These Republican senators should think twice about whether their political stunt is worth the threat of another war in the Middle East.”