After months of speculation, Sen. Joe Manchin announced on Tuesday his intention to vote against a deal that would allow Iran to continue its nuclear weapons program, a departure from comments made earlier this summer that indicated he might vote in support.
We commend Manchin for making the right decision. The deal brokered by the Obama administration has dangerous consequences for America and our allies in the Middle East — particularly Israel.
Those critical of the deal say it is flawed and does little to stop nuclear proliferation in Iran. The country is the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and as such shouldn’t have the ability to create or possess nuclear weapons that can do harm to its enemies, many of which are American allies.
Manchin agrees.
“For me, this deal had to be about more than preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon for the next 10-15 years. For me, this deal had to address Iran’s terrorist actions. Without doing so would reward Iran’s 36 years of deplorable behavior and do nothing to prevent its destructive activities,” Manchin said during a Tuesday morning conference call with reporters.
Manchin has made a wise decision, one that came after several weeks of deliberation, meeting with constituents and gathering information.
In a representative democracy, hearing from voters is key, and Manchin was smart to give his constituents a time to voice their opinions on such a divisive issue.
“You have to listen to your constituents. I represent the state of West Virginia, and I’m sure going to pay attention to them, and I always have,” Manchin said.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, also came out strongly against the deal earlier this summer, saying “America does not have to accept a bad deal.”
Although West Virginia’s two Senators have made their positions clear, the Senate is gearing up for what is sure to be a lively debate in the coming weeks. It is not clear when the vote may happen, but we applaud Capito and Manchin for taking a stand against this flawed, potentially dangerous deal and hope other lawmakers do the same.