A group of over 30 people delivered an 80-page petition Wednesday to Congressman Paul Ryan’s Racine office urging him to support President Barack Obama’s nuclear treaty proposal with Iran.
Joseph Cushing of the Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice told Racine County Eye that while Ryan believes the president’s plan will not prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, the Coalition and the people who signed the petition think supporting the treaty is the only way to go.
“It’s really a no-brainer to me,” he said. “The Iranian people are suffering under sanctions, and their leaders know it so if they’re willing to negotiate then we should.”
Because the treaty allows for inspections, Cushing added, there is little chance of Iran violating the treaty without consequences.
“If they do violate the treaty, then the sanctions go back on and people continue to suffer,” he stated.
Ryan issued a statement on his congressional website calling the deal with Iran a mistake.
“This is a terrible deal. It will not prevent Iran from expanding its nuclear programs, and it will only delay its development of nuclear weapons. The Administration has mishandled these negotiations from the start and agreeing to this deal will make the Middle East a more dangerous place,” he wrote.
Cushing said the petition was signed by more than 2,000 people from all over the country on the moveon.org site.