Statesman.com, 19 August 2015
District 31 U.S. Rep. John Carter said he wouldn’t vote in favor of the Iran nuclear agreement even if someone held a gun to his head.
The Round Rock Republican’s remarks came after his appearance as guest speaker at the Aug. 13 Williamson County Republican Women’s luncheon held at the Holiday Inn on Chisholm Trail.
“They won’t get me to vote ‘yes’ with a gun,” Carter said of the anticipated September vote in the U.S. House and Senate.
District 31 U.S. Rep. John Carter, left, and Round Rock City Council Member Will Peckham were among elected officials who attended the Williamson County Republican Women’s luncheon at the Holiday Inn on Aug. 13.
Opponents say they can guarantee Iran will cheat, inspection mechanisms are not tough enough and the billions of dollars Iran will receive, when sanctions are lifted, will go toward funding terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
Carter leaves no doubt where he stands, stating the proposal contains nothing about Iran not funneling money to terrorists.
He said it also ignores the four Americans — a CIA operative, a former Marine, a journalist and a preacher — held hostage by the Iranian government.
“I’m voting against it,” Carter said. “There isn’t anything good in it. I don’t know who taught these [American] guys to negotiate. We didn’t get anything out of it.”
According to a July 28 CNN survey, 52 percent of Americans oppose the proposal and 44 percent favor it.
“It’s gonna go down in flames the first time, but it’ll be tough to overcome the [presidential] veto,” Carter said. “I’ll vote to override the veto.”
Republicans have a 247-188 advantage in the House of Representatives, where 290 votes would be required to override the president’s veto.
On the Senate side, the GOP holds a 54-44 edge (with two Independents, including Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders). It would take 67 Senate votes to override a veto from Obama.