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JULY 21, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY ABBOTT KOLOFF
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
TEANECK — Rep. Scott Garrett told more than 250 people gathered Monday night for a town hall meeting at Congregation Bnai Yeshurun that he will continue his efforts to block the Iran nuclear arms deal, saying it would be detrimental to the security of both the United States and Israel.
He said that the deal was “woefully short” of President Obama’s promises and that “we essentially will be starting a countdown for Iran to have nuclear weapons” in the future. Garrett, a Republican who represents portions of Bergen, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties, said he hoped enough Democrats would join Republicans to block the deal, but added that he did not expect that to happen.
The meeting echoed portions of a multifaceted national debate, with a large coalition of organizations planning the Stop Iran Rally in Times Square on Wednesday to oppose the agreement while peace groups and others have been arguing in its favor. Iranians also have not been in complete agreement, with hundreds protesting the agreement in Tehran over the weekend.
Congressional Republicans, including Garrett, have been uniformly against it. However, they would need a two-thirds majority in Congress to prevent the agreement from being finalized. Garrett said he voted against that procedure when it was established with bipartisan support this year, adding, “It puts the Constitution on its head.”
Rabbi Steven Pruzansky of Bnai Yeshurun said the agreement placed the nation “on the verge of a historic capitulation.” He added that “Obama’s America is on a collision course with Israel.”
https://www.northjersey.com/news/world/garrett-vows-to-keep-fighting-iran-agreement-1.1377711