Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Risch made the following statement today regarding news of a nuclear deal with Iran:

 "From the start, Congress was told by President Obama and Secretary Kerry there would be clear red lines for any deal with Iran. This deal violates every priority the administration initially laid out and crosses every red line that was initially drawn, from complete access to Iran's facilities and scientists to a robust inspection and verification regime.

 "This deal allows Iran to accelerate its nuclear weapons development program and will provide international legitimacy to their program within a limited number of years. It also provides Iran with billions of dollars it will certainly use to fuel terrorism and instability in the world, just as it has done with the limited funds it had under the current sanctions regime.

 "In addition, the deal shreds the legacy of arms control and nonproliferation that the United States has championed for decades- it will spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that will be impossible to contain.

 "This deal falls disastrously short of what the Obama Administration originally promised and gives the Iranian government what it desires. The West will have to live with a nuclear Iran and will abandon our closest ally, Israel, under this horribly flawed agreement.

 “In addition, the failure of the administration to secure the release of Pastor Saeed Abedini, which should have been a simple task, even at the outset of negotiations, has been ignored despite the chorus of pleas to achieve this goal."

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