U.S. Rep. Yoder responds to Netanyahu speech

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS) issued the following statement following Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on Tuesday morning:

“It was an honor to welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu to Washington for his address before Congress. Israel is our closest ally in the Middle East, and one of our most vital allies across the globe. Maintaining a strong relationship between our two nations is of the utmost importance.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke of his profound obligation to reiterate his grave concerns regarding the Administration’s negotiations with Iran and its nuclear program. Iran and the other bad actors it supports in the region continue to threaten Israel every day. I share those concerns because no nation and no people should have to be faced with imminent attack at any moment. I also share those concerns because, ultimately, any threat posed to Israel as the only free, democratic state in the Middle East is a threat to the United States as the beacon of freedom and democracy around the world.

“As he noted in his remarks, ‘we must all stand together to stop Iran’s march of conquest, subjugation, and terror.’ Unfortunately, I fear the Administration’s negotiations are poised to put Iran on the path towards nuclear proliferation. The proposed agreement would allow Iran to continue to assert the right to enrich uranium, spin thousands of centrifuges, and grow its intercontinental ballistic missile program.

“Though no one from the Administration gave Prime Minister Netanyahu the courtesy of attendance at the speech today, I hope that it will heed his warnings and live up to its repeated assertion that no deal is better than a bad deal. Rather than threatening a veto of new sanctions, the Administration should be working with bipartisan coalitions in Congress to keep the pressure on the Iranian Regime.”