Thanks to you, Congress spoke for diplomacy

Last week, because of your continued pressure, 105 Representatives signed a letter to President Obama to support his administration’s efforts to work with the world community and seek a diplomatic solution with Iran over their nuclear program.

While some in Congress seem to want to derail diplomacy by enacting more sanctions even though the U.S. agreed not to as a part of the historic temporary agreement with Iran. This agreement significantly walks back Iran’s nuclear program while providing them with sanction relief while allowing time for the international negotiators to come to long-term agreement with Iran.

And while we have been able to keep the congressional hawks at bay, we need to continue to press for diplomacy. Please take a moment and look at the list of Representatives that signed the “Give Diplomacy a Chance” letter below and thank those that signed and admonish those who didn’t.

You can find and reach your Representative at 202-224-3121 or calling one of their local offices.

For the last eight years we have worked tirelessly for a diplomatic solution with Iran. It is now within reach and we continue to need your help.

Here’s the letter:

Dear Mr. President,

As Members of Congress—and as Americans—we are united in our unequivocal commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East would threaten the security of the United States and our allies in the region, particularly Israel.

The ongoing implementation of the Joint Plan of Action agreed to by Iran and the “P5+1” nations last November increases the possibility of a comprehensive and verifiable international agreement. We understand that there is no assurance of success and that, if talks break down or Iran reneges on pledges it made in the interim agreement, Congress may be compelled to act as it has in the past by enacting additional sanctions legislation. At present, however, we believe that Congress must give diplomacy a chance. A bill or resolution that risks fracturing our international coalition or, worse yet, undermining our credibility in future negotiations and jeopardizing hard-won progress toward a verifiable final agreement, must be avoided.

We remain wary of the Iranian regime. But we believe that robust diplomacy remains our best possible strategic option, and we commend you and your designees for the developments in Geneva. Should negotiations fail or falter, nothing precludes a change in strategy. But we must not imperil the possibility of a diplomatic success before we even have a chance to pursue it.

Sincerely,

Arizona
Grijalva
Pastor

California
Bass
Capps
Eshoo
Farr
Garamendi
Huffman
Lee, Barbara
Lofgren
McNerney, Jerry
Miller, George
Negrete McLeod
Roybal-Allard
Speier
Takano
Thompson, Mike
Waters

Colorado
DeGette
Polis

Connecticut
Courtney
DeLauro
Larson

District of Columbia
Norton

Florida
Brown

Georgia
Bishop, Sanford
Johnson, Hank
Lewis

Guam
Bordallo

Illinois
Davis, Danny
Enyart
Foster
Gutierrez
Kelly, Robin
Rush
Schakowsky

Indiana
Carson
Visclosky

Iowa
Loebsack

Kentucky
Massie
Yarmuth

Maine
Pingree

Maryland
Cummings
Edwards
Ruppersberger
Van Hollen

Massachusetts
Capuano
Keating
Lynch, Stephen
McGovern
Tierney
Tsongas

Michigan
Conyers
Dingell
Kildee

Minnesota
Ellison
McCollum
Nolan
Walz

Mississippi
Thompson, Bennie

Missouri
Clay
Cleaver

New Hampshire
Kuster
Shea-Porter

New Jersey
Holt
Payne
Velazquez

New York
Clarke, Yvette
Hanna
McCarthy
Meeks
Rangel
Slaughter
Tonko

North Carolina
Butterfield, GK
Jones, Walter
Price, David

Ohio
Beatty
Fudge, Marcia
Kaptur
Ryan, Tim

Northern Mariana Islands
Sablan

Oregon
Blumenauer
DeFazio

Pennsylvania
Cartwright

Puerto Rico
Pierluisi

South Carolina
Clyburn

Tennessee
Cohen
Cooper
Duncan Jr

Texas
Doggett
Jackson-Lee
Johnson, EB
O’Rourke

Utah
Matheson

Vermont
Welch

Virginia
Christensen
Connolly
Moran, Jim
Scott, Bobby

Washington
McDermott

West Virginia
Rahall

Wisconsin
Moore
Pocan