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| As many of you know, funding for the federal government is set to expire if Congress does not act before October 1. News stories and recent history indicate that the White House and congressional leadership will likely resort to a short-term, temporary spending measure known as a "continuing resolution" to keep the government operating. This is an irresponsible way to govern, especially when so much time has been wasted while leaders should have been in Washington, debating and passing funding legislation as the Constitution instructs and as the American people rightly demand. I have said many times that continuing resolutions are short-sighted Band-Aids that simply kick the can down the road, and represent an ineffective way for Congress to be a steward of taxpayer dollars. Congress has had more than enough time to fund the government in a long-term, strategic manner, but instead left town for an unnecessary August vacation. In late July I asked congressional leadership to call Congress back to Washington to "finish the business of the people," but unfortunately another month passed before the House and Senate returned to the Capitol. In the coming weeks and months, significant issues remain that have yet to be addressed, and I am committed to doing my duty to see that our military is properly funded and that vital government operations continue operating. There's no excuse for governing by crisis, especially when so many critical decisions are on the line. Another issue that Congress should have been debating during August was President Obama's proposed nuclear deal with Iran. As I've said before, Iran has previously shown its willingness to break the terms of deals, and I have no doubts that they'll do so again. I have visited the Middle East a number of times, meeting with members of the U.S. military as well as leaders of nations in the region, and I understand the threats posed by a nuclear-armed Iran. With the security of our partners in the region at stake, it is critical that any deal effectually prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. I do not believe this agreement includes the necessary enforcement mechanisms to keep Iran from pursuing nuclear capabilities, and I could not support it. During its first week back in Washington, the people's House took action to show just how much opposition exists around the country to what is undoubtedly a dangerous Iran deal. I voted against the President's agreement, and I also supported legislation to prevent the Administration from reducing economic sanctions on Iran. At the same time, I believe that the President failed to disclose information concerning side negotiations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, which conducts inspections that are the linchpin of the entire agreement. This failure meant that Congress lacked the full breadth of information necessary for making a complete, thorough decision, and I voted for a resolution expressing that Congress' period of review could not have begun without those disclosures. I am disappointed that the Senate did not vote this agreement down – as the House did – before the September 17, 2015 deadline. Rest assured that I will continue to fight for smart national security policies as a member of the House Armed Services Committee. I'd like to thank the many Virginians who reached out to me with feedback and concerns about the proposed Iran deal. Decisions with such far-reaching consequences cannot be made lightly or without serious debate and analysis, and your continued engagement is invaluable to me as I serve the First District in Congress. The main streets of Virginia's First District are full of ideas to get our economy back on track, and your feedback is critically important to me as I serve you. I can be reached by telephone at (202) 225-4261, through my website (www.wittman.house.gov), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/reprobwittman), and via Twitter (www.twitter.com/robwittman). | ||||
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