Cotton Votes to Block American Taxpayer Dollars from Going to Iran

Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement on the Cloture vote for his amendment blocking the United States from making future purchases of Iran’s heavy water:

“Today Senate Democrats once again put political gamesmanship over the safety and security of the American people by voting to allow American taxpayer dollars to be used to prop up the terror-sponsoring ayatollahs in Iran. This vote is particularly troubling given recent admissions by Obama administration officials that they actively sought to mislead the public on the Iran deal. Blatant propagandizing to the American public should be grounds enough to abandon carrying the President’s banner on this flawed deal. What more do they need?  Leaving the door open to continued heavy water purchases by the United States only incentivizes Iran to produce more heavy water and legitimizes its activity for years to come. And it removes any confidence in the Obama administration’s promise that this purchase would be a one-time occurrence. I am committed to ensuring President Obama does not needlessly go beyond the terms of the nuclear deal in order to preserve his legacy.”