{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://pittenger.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pittenger-warns-of-nuclear-mideast", "Pittenger warns of nuclear Mideast", "2013-12-20", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "NC", "Robert Pittenger", "P000606", "pittenger.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\nDecember 20, 2013\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n CONGRESSMAN PITTENGER TRAVELS TO MIDEAST TO DISCUSS IRANIAN NUCLEAR PACT WITH WORLD LEADERS \n\u00a0\nOSLO \u2013 This week, Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) traveled to the Mideast and Europe, meeting with world leaders and international experts to learn more about unintended consequences of the nuclear agreement with Iran. \u00a0Congressman Pittenger serves as Chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare.\n\u00a0\nAfter meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the International Atomic Energy Agency, he released this statement.\n\u00a0\n\u201cPresident Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are pursuing a nuclear arms agreement with Iran, a provocative nation with a substantial history of supporting Islamist terrorists. \u00a0Have they fully considered the unintended consequences of the proposal?\n\u00a0\n\u201cThis week I traveled with a Congressional delegation to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Foreign and Defense Ministers, who outlined for me the certain, disastrous outcome that will foreshadow even the best of compliance by Iran. \u00a0The current agreement includes no restrictions on Iran\u2019s nuclear research and development \u00a0 program and no requirements to destroy centrifuges or reduce their current levels of plutonium and uranium.\n\u00a0\n\u201cWe also traveled to Vienna to meet with the International Atomic Energy Commission, which confirmed that under the interim agreement, inspectors are only allowed to visit 17 approved sites in Iran and have no access to the rest of the country and whatever else may be hidden. \u00a0This lack of adequate agreed access voids any credible verification of compliance.\n\u00a0\n\u201cFor Iran\u2019s neighbors and the world, the agreement includes no reasonable assurance that Iran won\u2019t have the ability to continue developing nuclear weapons. \u00a0Mr. Netanyahu shared that other Mideast nations, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt, have already stated their commitment to acquiring nuclear warheads to defend against Iran, which will lead to nuclear proliferation in the world\u2019s most volatile region.\n\u00a0\n\u201cWhile much of the world has an innate respect for human life, Islamist extremists are willing to destroy themselves (and innocent men, women, and children) to annihilate the \u2018Great Satan\u2019 or the \u2018rabid dog\u2019 of Israel. \u00a0Civilization may well hang in the balance by the well-intentioned but deathly miscalculated diplomatic efforts of President Obama and Secretary Kerry. \u00a0Nuclear proliferation in the Middle East would be the ultimate \u2018unintended consequence.\u2019\n\u00a0\n\u201cIsrael has faced the threat of annihilation many times. \u00a0During our meeting, we encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to call his nation back to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who throughout ancient history delivered Israel from adversaries as they turned back to God. \u00a0Mr. Netanyahu welcomed the suggestion and shared that he and his son, the National Bible Champion, read the Bible together every Saturday.\n\u00a0\n\u201cWe live in a very unique and sobering moment of history. \u00a0President Obama and Secretary Kerry must listen to our Mideast allies, develop a clear recognition of the destructive forces of evil committed to destroy us, and carefully consider the unintended consequences of pacifying Iran while ignoring the very real threat of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.\u201d\n\u00a0\nIn the past week, Congressman Pittenger has traveled to Libya to meet with the President and Prime Minister, to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to Vienna to meet with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and to Oslo to meet with the Foreign Minister and counter-terrorism agencies.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://pittenger.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pittenger-warns-of-nuclear-mideast"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 4.134353948757052, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}