Previously undecided, Rep. Bill Foster backs Iran deal
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, a Naperville Democrat, announced Tuesday his support for the Iran nuclear deal after what he says was a full review of the scientific aspects.
"I do believe that voting for this deal will make it less likely that Iran will develop a nuclear weapon," Foster said.
Foster had previously said he was undecided on the controversial Iran deal, saying his role as Congress' only physicist gave him particular insights into the technical details.
Suburban lawmakers have largely split along party lines over the proposed accord, with Republicans opposing it and Democrats supporting.
Sens. Mark Kirk, a Republican, and Dick Durbin, a Democrat, have been leaders on the issue in their respective camps, and Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a Hoffman Estates Democrat and Senate candidate, remains undecided.
Foster, announced his opinion at a Washington, D.C., news conference that included Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz.
"My support of this agreement is determined not just by trust, but by science," the third-term congressman said.
Senate Democrats led by Durbin have amassed enough support likely to block Republicans' efforts to kill the deal.
"The administration is celebrating support from a partisan minority of senators for a nuclear deal that threatens the security of the United States and our allies," Kirk, a Highland Park Republican, said last week.