WASHINGTON – Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) criticized the international nuclear deal with Iran as dangerous and urged voters to press their officials to oppose it Saturday, delivering Republicans' weekly national address.
"I can tell you unequivocally, this deal is very dangerous," Toomey said in the recorded address. "It will make America, and the rest of the civilized world, less safe."
Toomey has long spoken out against the agreement and said in July he would vote against it. His address comes days after it became clear that the pact – with recent backing from Philadelphia-area Senators Bob Casey (D., Pa.), Chris Coons (D., Del.) and Cory Booker (D., N.J.) – has enough support to withstand Congressional opposition.
But Toomey's high-profile message suggests he and fellow Republicans plan to press the issue well beyond House and Senate votes this month, likely into next year's elections. Toomey is one of several incumbent Republicans facing difficult re-elections, and whose races could decide control of the Senate, and the GOP has signaled that it intends to hammer Democrats who support it.
Toomey has aggressively promoted his Iran stance for weeks, contrasting himself with Democratic candidate Joe Sestak, a former Navy admiral who supports the deal as the most plausible way to constrain Iran without falling into war. Sestak has embraced the issue: he's holding a public event speaking about the deal Wednesday at Villanova University.
The other Democrat vying for the party's Senate nomination, Katie McGinty, has not taken a stand on the deal.
Toomey, in the address, warned that the deal's sanctions relief will free up billions of dollars that Iran could funnel into terrorism, while allowing Tehran to continue nuclear research and development.
"This deal ends up legitimizing Iran's nuclear program, not stopping it," Toomey said.
Despite vote counts showing President Obama has enough support to enact the deal, Toomey urged listeners to press their local senators and members of Congress to oppose the plan. He concluded, "it's not too late to save America from this disaster."
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