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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 9 May 2018

Congressional leaders mixed on Trump withdrawal of Iran deal

By LISA MASCARO to withdraw from the Iran and without a backup
AP Congressional Corre- nuclear deal. Some wel- plan.
spondent comed the pullout, believ- Senate Majority Leader
WASHINGTON (AP) — Con- ing the 2015 accord was Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.,
gressional leaders are split, unsound, but others wor- said that the Iran deal
but not neatly along party ried the U.S. was now in the “was flawed from the be-
lines, over President Donald position of reneging on an ginning” and that he looks
Trump’s decision Tuesday international commitment forward to working with the

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., center,
speaks during a media availability after a policy luncheon on
Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 8, 2018 in Washington. McConnell is
accompanied by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., left, and Sen. John
Cornyn, R-Texas.
Associated Press
president on the next steps. “However, based on con-
“My own view is it’s a versations I have had in
flawed deal and we can recent days, it is my sense
do better,” he said. “Clear- that the administration will
ly there’s a next step be- move quickly to work to-
yond this and we’ll look ward a better deal.”
forward to seeing what he The committee’s top Dem-
recommends.” ocrat, Sen. Bob Menendez
But Senate Minority Leader of New Jersey, said Trump
Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., “is risking U.S. national se-
who opposed the deal curity, recklessly upending
negotiated by President foundational partnerships
Barack Obama’s adminis- with key U.S. allies in Europe
tration and world powers in and gambling with Israel’s
2015, said the Trump White security.”
House appears to have a Menendez is among a
slogan but no plan. handful of Democrats who
The administration — and opposed the agreement in
even Trump himself — 2015. But he said Tuesday
briefed leaders ahead of that “it is a grave mistake
Tuesday’s announcement. to walk away ... without a
One top Republican, Sen. plan for ensuring that Iran
Bob Corker of Tennessee, does not restart its nuclear
the chairman of the Sen- weapon program, without
ate Foreign Relations Com- a strategy for countering
mittee, also spoke with Eu- Iran’s dangerous non-nu-
ropean leaders and said clear activities, and with-
he looks forward to nego- out our allies and partners.”
tiating better terms of the The deal put the brakes
deal. on Iran’s nuclear weap-
“It is disappointing that the ons program for the next
administration was unable decade in exchange for
to reach an agreement lifting economically devas-
with our allies,” Corker said. tating sanctions. q