Three Democrats in the House said Tuesday they are against the nuclear agreement made with Iran and will work to have it shot down when the chamber votes on it next month.
Reps. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., an assistant Democratic Whip; Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee; and Ted Deutch, D-Fla., the ranking Democrat on the Middle East Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, are opposed to the
deal struck last month between Iran and the group of nations called the P5+1, which includes the United States.
Brian Shankman of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee announced the opposition in an email to supporters.
"I'm writing with extremely good news, as three prominent members of Congress have just announced that they intend to vote in opposition to the deal with Iran," Shankman wrote.
All three lawmakers said they have concerns with the deal over security issues.
"I'm going to vote against the Iran deal,"
Israel told Newsday.
"I tried very hard to get to yes. But at the end of the day, despite some positive elements in the deal, the totality compelled me to oppose it."
Lowey, who has served in the House since 1989, said national security is at risk under the terms of the Iran deal.
"Preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is an essential national security imperative,"
Lowey said in a statement. "Since the nuclear agreement was reached between Iran and the P5+1 countries, I have reviewed its details and consulted with officials in the Obama Administration, regional experts, foreign leaders, Congressional colleagues, and my constituents.
"In my judgment, sufficient safeguards are not in place to address the risks associated with the agreement."
In an op-ed for the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, Deutch argued the deal could lead to increased terrorism at the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah.
"Too many issues I have long raised as essential to any nuclear deal with Iran are not adequately addressed in this agreement," Deutch wrote. "I will vote against it when Congress reconvenes in September.
"There are different predictions about what will happen if Congress rejects this deal. But the consequences of approving it aren't up for debate. Opening Iran up to foreign investment, increasing its oil exports, and unfreezing over $100 billion in assets means more money for Hamas for building terror tunnels in Gaza, more weapons for Hezbollah in Lebanon, more slaughter in Syria, and more violence worldwide."
Israel, Lowey, and Deutch are all Jewish. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu joins them in their opposition to the agreement with Iran.
"Israel is not bound by this deal with Iran, and Israel is not bound by this deal with Iran because Iran continues to seek our destruction," Netanyahu said last month.
"We will always defend ourselves."
A recent poll shows Americans seem to agree with the trio of Democrats opposed to the Iran deal, with 57 percent saying they are against it.
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