U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (WI-3) announced his support Sept. 8 for the  international nuclear agreement with Iran, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

  “I have carefully studied the text of the agreement, attended classified briefings, reviewed classified documents compiled by Intelligence agencies, listened to the thoughts and concerns of Wisconsinites, and met with experts on both sides of the issue, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a recent trip to Israel,” Kind said in a statement.

“Although the agreement is not a perfect solution to a complex problem, I believe the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is the best option in order to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“Iran’s history of cheating on agreements, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has fostered an environment of distrust, which is why this agreement is based on ‘distrust and verify’.  The agreement will be enforced and monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with our help and resources.

Kind concluded, “This agreement gives us the best opportunity to avoid military action and may accomplish our ultimate objective: to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, protecting the security of our allies in the region, and avoiding a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.”

A vote was expected in Congress on the resolution this week, but has been delayed due to an internal struggle within the Republican Party. Members of the House Freedom Caucus urged a delay late Tuesday, claiming the White House has not revealed all "side deals" with Iran, which the Obama administration has said do not exist. Subsequently, House Speaker John Boehner's plan for a vote against the deal lost enough Republican support to move forward.