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 Days after tough questioning by lawmakers at an emotional Senate
hearing, Kerry sharpened his response to criticism that the deal's
provisions were temporary and would not prevent Iran from obtaining
a nuclear weapon in the long run.
"Iran has agreed to refrain from producing or acquiring highly
enriched uranium and weapons-grade plutonium for nuclear weapons
forever," he told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs
Committee. "When it comes to verification and monitoring, there is
absolutely no sunset in this agreement. Not in 10 years, not in 15
years, not in 20 years, not in 25 years - no sunset ever."
Challenged even by some of his fellow Democrats, Kerry said: "If you
kill the deal, you are not making America safer."
Joined by Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Energy Secretary Ernest
Moniz, Kerry was part of the President Barack Obama's effort to coax
skeptical lawmakers into supporting the nuclear pact.
Congress has until Sept. 17 to endorse or reject it. Rejection would
prevent Obama from waiving most U.S.-imposed sanctions on Iran, a
key component of the deal.
Under the July 14 pact, world powers agreed to lift sanctions in
return for curbs on a nuclear program the West suspects was aimed at
creating an atomic bomb, but which Tehran says is peaceful.
'CASH BONANZA'
The four-hour hearing grew heated as some House Republicans shouted
at Kerry. Senate Republicans last week accused him of having been
"bamboozled" and "fleeced."
At times, Kerry visibly lost patience, saying he was hearing many
complaints, while opponents offered no alternative.
"What this agreement is supposed to do is stop them from having a
nuclear weapon. Now I want to hear somebody tell me how they're
going to do that without this agreement," he said.
Kerry insisted walking away would isolate the United States.
"If we walk away, we walk away alone. Our partners are not going to
be with us," Kerry said.
Lew said that other countries would not keep the sanctions against
Iran in place.
"You could end up with Iran getting access to that money without the
benefit of an agreement, which would be a very bad outcome," he
noted.
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Both Republicans and Democrats signaled the potential difficulty in
getting Congress on board.
Representative Ed Royce, the committee's Republican chairman, said
the deal gives Iran a "cash bonanza," while weakening Washington's
ability to pressure Tehran.
Representative Eliot Engel, the top Democrat, said he saw a number
of troublesome issues.
Others expressed concern about Americans held in Iranian prisons or
worried about Iran's backing militants.
"They support Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi, and those are just the
organizations that begin with the letter 'H,'" said Democratic
Representative Brad Sherman.
Although Republicans control majorities in the House and Senate,
they would need Democratic votes against Obama to override a
promised veto if Congress rejects the nuclear pact.
Many Democrats have not decided how they will vote when Congress
returns in September from a five-week recess, but several have come
out in favor.
Representative Sander Levin, the longest serving Jewish member of
the House, issued a statement on Tuesday backing the deal.
Jewish lawmakers known as strong supporters of Israel, such as Engel
and Sherman, have been under particularly intense pressure over the
deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has cultivated
a close relationship with Republicans, has called it a threat to his
country's survival.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Howard Goller, Andrew
Hay and G Crosse)
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