Congressman Bill Foster, pictured at a recent Naperville Township Democratic Organization’s meeting, announced Sept. 8 he is supporting the Iran nuclear agreement and will vote in favor of it. Jennifer Rice/staff photographer

By Jennifer Rice
Managing Editor
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
Email Jennifer Rice at: jen@foxvalley
labornews.com

NAPERVILLE — Indicating no arms control deal is ever perfect, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-11) publicly announced Sept. 8 he is putting support behind the Iran nuclear agreement and will be voting in favor of it.

“I am here today to add my name to that list of 29 scientists and engineers who have endorsed the deal and the growing number of members of Congress who will be voting in favor of it,” Foster said during a press conference in Washington, D.C., also attended by Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, and Richard Garwin, a physicist who helped develop the first hydrogen bomb.

He indicated his support for the agreement was determined by science, not trust. Foster, the only physicist in Congress, was a high-energy physicist and particle accelerator designer at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory for more than 20 years.

The House is expected to vote this week to disapprove the Iran nuclear agreement.

During his remarks, Foster stressed that Congress’ overriding objective must be to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “After carefully weighing all the options and possible outcomes, I do believe voting for this deal will make it less likely Iran will develop nuclear weapons. Voting against this deal, with no better options in sight, makes the potential for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon more likely,” the Congressman explained.

Many of Foster’s comments said during the Washington, D.C. press conference were echoed from discussions Foster made Aug. 28 at the Naperville Township Democratic Organization’s (NTDO) meeting in Naperville, where, at that time, he indicated he, “was undecided on his vote.”

He told NTDO members and guests the Iran nuclear agreement was the first treaty he knew of that had technical operating parameters for nuclear reactors, which was an important part of the deal. “There has been a lot of very wise input to our negotiating stance, and one thing that I am really impressed with, is the technical competence of our team in these negotiations,” Foster explained at the NTDO meeting.

At both appearances, Foster made it known voting for or against the agreement is not an easy vote. At the Washington, D.C. press conference, Foster indicated that if Iran walks away from the negotiating table, there will be no guarantee of any inspections at all, which Foster called, “the worst-case scenario for the security of the United States and Israel.”

“I am supporting this deal because I believe that it sets us on the path to the most secure future for the United States, for Israel, and for the world,” he explained.

If world leaders want to get serious about stopping nuclear activities in Iran, the Mideast and around the world, Foster would like to see the treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons strengthened, including key enforcement and inspection provisions.