Washington, DC – Americans for Peace Now (APN) thanks the 104 members of the House of Representatives, Republicans and Democrats, who today sent a letter to President Obama supporting the current diplomatic efforts to resolve concerns over Iran's nuclear program.

APN strongly supported the letter and urged House members to sign it.

APN President and CEO Debra DeLee said: "The 104 House members who signed this letter deserve praise.  While some want to belittle the current diplomatic effort or seek ways to actively undermine it, this letter is a resounding, bipartisan statement of support for the efforts President Obama and his international partners to reach a historic agreement with Iran. Such an agreement is the best and only thing that can prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, and avoid war. Supporting this diplomacy and opposing legislation that might threaten it is the pro-Israel, pro-U.S. position.  We commend the members of Congress for taking this position."  

The bipartisan letter and a list of signatories follow:

February 12, 2014

Dear Mr. President:

As Members of Congress—and as Americans—we are united in our unequivocal commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East would threaten the security of the United States and our allies in the region, particularly Israel.

The ongoing implementation of the Joint Plan of Action agreed to by Iran and the “P5+1” nations last November increases the possibility of a comprehensive and verifiable international agreement. We understand that there is no assurance of success and that, if talks break down or Iran reneges on pledges it made in the interim agreement, Congress may be compelled to act as it has in the past by enacting additional sanctions legislation. At present, however, we believe that Congress must give diplomacy a chance. A bill or resolution that risks fracturing our international coalition or, worse yet, undermining our credibility in future negotiations and jeopardizing hard-won progress toward a verifiable final agreement, must be avoided.

We remain wary of the Iranian regime. But we believe that robust diplomacy remains our best possible strategic option, and we commend you and your designees for the developments in Geneva. Should negotiations fail or falter, nothing precludes a change in strategy. But we must not imperil the possibility of a diplomatic success before we even have a chance to pursue it.
Sincerely,

Members of Congress: Bass; Bishop, Sanford; Beatty; Blumenauer; Bordallo; Brown, Corrine; Butterfield, GK; Capps; Capuano; Carson, Andre; Cartwright; Christensen; Clarke, Yvette; Clay, William Lacy; Cleaver; Clyburn; Cohen; Connolly; Conyers; Cooper; Courtney; Cummings; Davis, Danny; DeFazio; DeGette; DeLauro; Dingell; Doggett; Duncan John J., Jr; Edwards; Ellison; Enyart; Eshoo; Farr; Foster; Fudge; Garamendi; Grijalva; Gutierrez; Hanna; Holt; Huffman; Jackson-Lee; Johnson, Eddie Bernice; Johnson, Hank; Jones, Walter; Kaptur; Keating; Kelly, Robin; Kildee; Kuster; Larson; Lee; Lewis; Loebsack; Lofgren; Lynch; Massie; Matheson; McCarthy, Carolyn; McCollum; McDermott; McGovern; McNerney; Meeks; Miller, George; Moore; Moran; Negrete McLeod; Nolan; Norton; O'Rourke; Pastor; Payne Jr.; Pierluisi; Pingree; Pocan; Polis; Price, David; Rahall; Rangel; Roybal-Allard; Ruppersberger; Rush; Ryan, Tim; Sablan; Schakowsky; Scott, Bobby; Shea-Porter; Slaughter; Speier; Takano; Thompson, Bennie; Thompson, Mike; Tierney; Tonko; Tsongas; Van Hollen; Velazquez; Visclosky; Walz; Waters; Welch; Yarmuth