SENATOR DAN SULLIVAN REPUBLICAN -ALASKA ADDRESSES IRAN DEAL ON SENATE FLOOR

SENATOR DAN SULLIVAN REPUBLICAN -ALASKA ADDRESSES IRAN DEAL ON SENATE FLOOR

Dan Sullivan was sworn in as Alaska’s eighth United States Senator on January 6, 2015.  Sullivan serves on four Senate committees vital to Alaska: the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; the Armed Services Committee; the Environment and Public Works Committee; and the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Sullivan served as Alaska’s Attorney General and Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. As Alaska's Attorney General, Sullivan’s number one priority was protecting Alaskans, their physical safety, financial well-being, and individual rights – particularly Alaska’s most vulnerable.  During his tenure he spearheaded a comprehensive statewide strategy – the “Choose Respect” campaign – to combat Alaska’s high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault.  Under Sullivan’s leadership, the Department of Law also undertook an aggressive strategy of initiating and intervening in litigation aimed at halting federal government overreach into the lives of Alaskans and their economy.

As Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Sullivan managed one of the largest portfolios of oil, gas, minerals, renewable energy, timber, land, and water in the world. Working closely with Alaska’s Governor and state legislature, Sullivan developed numerous strategies that spurred responsible resource development, energy security, and a dramatic increase in good-paying jobs across a number of critical sectors in the Alaska economy.  He also developed a comprehensive plan to streamline and reform the state’s regulatory and permitting system.

Sullivan is one of a select number of Alaskan attorneys who has held judicial clerkships on both the highest federal and state courts in Alaska. He served as a judicial law clerk for Judge Andrew Kleinfeld of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Fairbanks, Alaska and for Chief Justice Warren Matthews of the Alaska Supreme Court in Anchorage, Alaska.  Sullivan also served as a judicial law clerk/intern for Judge James L. Buckley on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Sullivan has a distinguished record of military and national security service. He is currently an infantry officer and Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.  Over the past 21 years, Sullivan has served in a variety of command and staff billets on active duty and in the reserves, including: TRAP Force Commander and 81mm mortar Platoon Commander, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable); Weapons Company Executive Officer, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines; Commanding Officer, Delta Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion; Executive Officer, Echo Company, Fourth Reconnaissance Battalion; and Commanding Officer, 6thAir Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO).  In 2004, Sullivan was recalled to active duty for a year and a half to serve as a staff officer to the Commander of U.S. Central Command, General John Abizaid, spending substantial time deployed in the Middle East, the Horn of Africa, and Central Asia.  In July 2013, Sullivan was recalled to active duty to serve with a Joint Task Force in Afghanistan focusing on dismantling terrorist networks and criminalizing the Taliban insurgency.

Sullivan served in the Administration of President George W. Bush as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business under Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He focused on fighting terrorist financing, and implementing policies relating to international energy, economic, trade, finance, transportation, telecommunications, and Arctic issues. Sullivan also served as a Director in the International Economics Directorate of the National Security Council staff at the White House.

Sullivan earned a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University in 1987 and a joint law and Masters of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1993. Dan and his wife Julie Fate Sullivan were married over 20 years ago in Julie’s hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska. They have three teenage daughters: Meghan, Isabella and Laurel.

0:00 but was present I want a speak this afternoon 0:03 about 10 most important issues facing the United States Senate 0:08 today for weeks maybe months maybe even years 0:12 and that's the debate we're having over there and 0:15 nuclear agreement how many my colleagues have already spoken very eloquently very 0:20 passionately 0:21 about this agreement I want to give one example my colleague from maine senator 0:26 King was on the floor the other day when I was presiding 0:30 imploring us to fully debate the issue his 0:34 he stated quote the truth emerges from the fire 0:39 have an argument on an issue of this importance and I couldn't agree more 0:43 we should debate this issue we should believe that this issue 0:48 we should bring all the voices of the people we represent into this body 0:53 to debate this issue some is present where to begin 0:58 there is so much here so many issues we've seen some of them 1:03 centrifuges enrichment 1:06 inspections sanctions anytime anywhere 1:10 inspections we have to examine all of that 1:15 but I thought it was important to date a step back 1:19 to take a look at some other big issues 1:22 three in particular but I think are important as we start this debate 1:28 first the role of the american people 1:32 and this body in the congress with regard to this Agreement 1:36 second the basic underlying premise 1:40 up this Agreement the driving force that in many ways is behind this agreement 1:46 and third the main goal 1:49 as has been agreed to by the president by members of this body and what we 1:54 should be trying to achieve 1:56 with regard to this Agreement so first the role of the american people in this 2:00 body 2:01 you miss present there's a can there's confusion 2:04 it's been perpetuated by this administration that 2:08 those of us who are asking questions who are skeptical of the agreement 2:13 are being somehow partisan the president said that republicans 2:18 no matter the deal will disagree with him will not go for him will not vote 2:22 with him 2:23 and in some ways he seems to be making this 2:26 about his personal agenda but with all due respect to the president 2:34 Iran nuclear agreement is much bigger 2:37 and President Obama much bigger 2:42 president will be gone in eighteen months 2:45 the american people will have to live with the consequences of this Agreement 2:50 for decades that's why it's so important 2:54 that the congress debates and approved 2:59 or disapprove this Agreement 3:02 and yet had the Obama administration had its way 3:07 we would not we would not be doing that today 3:12 what we're doing right now debating this Agreement 3:15 in fact throughout this process from the very beginning 3:18 they've been dismissive up the raw love the american people through their 3:22 representatives in Congress 3:24 Tollway N to bring clarity 3:28 to bring wisdom to what the screamin 3:31 is all about just few months ago miss president 3:34 the president said that he did not want the congress to be involved at all 3:40 we started debating an act on this floor 3:44 to provide this body with an opportunity to review and approve 3:48 he said he would be doing no involvement from the american people 3:52 the administration only backed off on a bipartisan group 3:58 have senators Democrats and Republicans stood firm 4:01 a veto-proof majority and said no the American people need to be 4:07 read into this Agreement so that was when we pass Iran nuclear 4:13 Review Act I personally wouldn't have preferred that this be viewed as a 4:17 treaty by the administration 4:18 but we're reviewing it now under that law 4:23 in the president the sector Carey 4:26 have taken the deal to the UN Security Council again 4:30 before congress in the american people 4:33 even started to debate the issue 4:36 russians Chinese were voting on this agreement before we had the opportunity 4:41 to do so 4:42 members of this body Democrats and Republicans 4:46 implore the secretary don't do this it's an affront to the american people 4:52 they didn't listen and finally the president saying 4:56 even before we debate if we're not in agreement with him he's gonna veto 5:00 whatever we do in this body up miss present this is not how the federal 5:05 government disposed to conduct foreign policy 5:07 throughout the history this great body 5:10 weighing in and voting an international agreements 5:15 international treaties I've this magnitude 5:18 has been the Senate's most important job 5:21 the heart and soul what we do in this body 5:25 sadly two former members at this party the president 5:29 and the Secretary of State have actively fought against 5:33 our involvement but Alexander Hamilton knew better 5:39 the Federalist Papers he spoke about the critical role 5:43 the senate and foreign affairs 5:46 he warns against the president 5:49 having sole authority over issues have such delicate and momentous combine 5:55 he argued vigorously for the senate to have a say 6:00 and critical foreign policy and national security issues 6:05 in our history and the Constitution 6:09 reflect this that's where we come in 6:13 and that's why we're debating this so in examining the agreement mister president 6:17 think it's a nurse 6:18 it's important understand a look at the bigger picture what's the driving force 6:23 what's the underlying premise what's the full %ah sophy 6:27 that's motivating this Agreement 6:31 it's not hard to discern from the beginning at the Obama administration 6:35 the president and his team 6:37 have been focused on transforming our relationship with Iran 6:41 to bring it into the community a respected nations 6:47 transforming the Middle East president 6:51 has talked about this a number times he highlighted this 6:54 in a speech the United Nations in 2013 6:58 and it's here again in the tax 7:03 up this Agreement the text to the agreement 7:07 States the p-5 plus one 7:11 expresses its desire to build a new relationship with Iran 7:15 that's in the agreement this is a ball 7:19 an ambitious goal no doubt but also dangerously naive 7:24 interestingly there's no reciprocal statement 7:29 in the agreement by Iran 7:32 about Iran wanting to have a new relationship 7:36 with the United States where the West we want it 7:40 they don't seem to wanna in fact 7:44 with its leaders regularly each still chanting death to the amid 7:47 death to America death to Israel even after the signing this agreement 7:52 it seems very clear that Iran does not want a new relationship 7:57 in this is the biggest flaw the agreement it amounts to a high-stakes 8:02 back 8:03 the highest I've stakes the security the United States 8:08 that Iran will change its behavior and what I fear the most 8:13 is if they don't change and there's no sign that they're going to 8:18 by its own terms this Agreement 8:22 within 10 years 1 able or an to have a much stronger economy 8:26 is significant ballistic missile capability 8:30 be on the verge of a nuclear bomb 8:34 and still be the world's largest sponsor 8:38 a state terrorism 8:40 this is a huge risk for the security of our country 8:43 and our allies in the Middle East but it didn't have to be this way 8:48 this agreement could have mitigated these Rhys 8:52 we do this all the time and diplomacy we tell countries that we negotiate with 8:57 you improve your behavior you get rewarded 9:02 incrementally step-by-step 9:06 step by difficult step 9:09 for example during the debate we had 9:14 and Iran nuclear review agreement I of an amendment that was simple 9:19 but was based on this issue 9:23 sanctions would be lifted on Iran 9:26 once a rant came off the list of countries that sponsor state terrorism 9:32 simple improve your behavior 9:36 you get rewarded but this Agreement does not do that 9:40 instead when you look at 9:44 the structure of this Agreement in a row 9:48 it allows Iran to get almost all love the benefits 9:51 up front almost half 9:54 love this Agreement is about 9:58 our obligations to lift sanctions in very very minute detail 10:03 our obligations live sanctions on Iran 10:07 within the next several months think about that mister president 10:11 we had the leverage countries that negotiated this are among the most 10:17 powerful the world 10:18 we had a rant on the ropes was strong american-led sanctions 10:24 we had the leverage and we lost it 10:29 with this Agreement on the hope 10:32 on the hope 10:35 that Iran will change its behavior and so far it's clear that their leaders 10:39 did not get the memo and the change behavior 10:43 run the new relationship iran is still 10:47 destabilizing the Middle East holding americans hostage 10:51 threatening Israel supporting terrorist groups like Hezbollah and others 10:55 throughout the world 10:56 in fact haran which is a nation 11:00 that has had Imperial ambitions throughout the Middle East 11:04 for centuries could very well accelerates 11:08 the activities 11:12 its destabilizing activities as a result have the power 11:15 and prestige that this Agreement provides up 11:21 numbers present supporters up this agreement 11:24 including the president are arguing that look the united states we've done this 11:28 before 11:29 we negotiate with our enemies to a positive and 11:34 president reagan did it with the Soviet Union 11:37 you got a constructive deal but this is a flawed analogy 11:42 both strategically and tack tactically 11:46 when we negotiate with the Soviet Union 11:49 it was the world's two superpowers it was the world's two superpowers they 11:55 were armed with nuclear weapons 11:57 similar military strength thousands of nuclear weapons 12:01 here 12:05 we're bringing a nuclear pariah 12:08 into the club 12:11 have nuclear powers this is very different 12:16 and tactically Team Obama 12:21 has never demonstrated the desire to walk away from this deal 12:25 this wasn't the case for president reagan 12:29 he famously walked away from the soviets 12:32 in Reykjavik Iceland over verification 12:36 issue on that IMF agreement this meeting is over 12:41 President Reagan said to george shultz as secretary state 12:44 when he thought we're giving away too much let's go george 12:48 we're leaving said the president and they did 12:52 they left a year later 12:55 mikhail gorbachev came back to the table 12:59 and agreed on-site inspections of its nuclear facilities 13:02 American USSR sign the IMF treaty 13:06 and soviet power began to unravel contrast that to the experience we've 13:11 heard about in the last few months 13:13 up these negotiations on the issue of conventional weapons 13:17 and ballistic missiles the chairman the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin 13:23 Dempsey 13:24 testifying from the armed services committee very recently 13:27 he said quote under no circumstances 13:31 should we be relieved pressure on Iran 13:35 relative to ballistic missile capabilities 13:38 and arms trafficking the number one military adviser 13:42 to the president Nitin States but we did 13:46 within seven days that statement we did in the embargo on conventional weapons 13:51 and ballistic missiles 13:53 is gonna be lifted as part of this agreement 13:57 when the Russians and Chinese push this position at the very end to these 14:02 negotiations 14:03 sector Carey should've listened a general Dempsey's 14:07 military advice and should have done what secretary schultz did 14:13 shoulda walked 14:17 should a walk to get a better deal 14:19 finally miss present I want to conclude by underscoring what 14:23 everybody from the president to members of this body 14:27 have agreed should be the principal negotiation 14:31 objective up this agreement 14:34 that has always been to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon 14:38 and from Desmet and to dismantle 14:42 its nuclear capability in fact 14:48 this body is waitin last year 14:52 October march from 2014 14:56 a letter written by sis 81 United States senators 15:01 to the present in nine states about these negotiations 15:04 was present I ask unanimous consent to 15:08 submit the spar the record without consent has helped without objection 15:13 the letter had a number benchmarks 15:18 for the negotiators one stated sanctions quote 15:22 must continue until a Rand a banded 15:26 its efforts to build a nuclear weapon the letter then goes on 15:31 to cite another critical basic 15:34 goal the agreement it states quote 15:39 we believe any agreement must dismantle 15:43 Iran's nuclear weapons program and prevent it from 15:47 ever ever having a uranium 15:51 for plutonium path to a nuclear bomb 15:54 81 senators last year 15:59 stated that me repeat that mister president 16:03 we believe any agreement must dismantle 16:06 Iran's nuclear weapons program and prevent it from 16:09 ever having you uranium for plutonium path to a nuclear bomb 16:14 I agree with the eighty-one senators forty democrats 16:18 forty republicans one independent who signed that letter 16:22 72 those senators are still members of this body 16:28 but they need awsome self 16:29 are they sure that this goal has been achieved 16:33 I read this entire agreement miss president 16:38 I believe this call is not been achieved 16:42 and that should deeply concerned 16:45 all members the united states senate 16:48 this present let me conclude by quoting someone I normally do not quote 16:53 on the floor the United States Senate Iranian 16:57 supreme leader Ayatollah Cup come I Khamenei 17:01 who just this past Saturday stated the following: 17:04 quote even after this deal 17:07 our policy towards the arrogant United States 17:11 will not change and then 17:15 he led the crowd was before 17:18 into channing death to america that mister president 17:26 is the country that we're hoping 17:30 and risking our future on 17:36 that will change that we will have a 17:42 quote new relationship with as the agreement states 17:46 to the american people we will continue to debate this critical issue 17:52 in the words my colleague from maine we will bring fire to the debate 17:57 and the truth will emerge unfortunately 18:02 here's one truth but I find self-evident 18:05 haran is not changing 18:09 anytime soon that's because this Agreement 18:14 didn't force it to miss president are you before 18:19 and