In case you missed it, the Obama Administration announced an agreement on the Iranian nuclear deal this week and I asked you to let me know your opinion at buddycarter.house.gov

An overwhelming 88.4 percent of respondents said they do not support the deal.

I agree that this is a bad deal for several reasons and it must be stopped.

First, the agreement does not meet Congressional standards. In March, I sent a letter with 368 members of Congress to President Obama clearly stating that a deal must last for multiple decades and include full disclosure of Iran’s past nuclear efforts. The deal does not accomplish either.

The agreement doesn’t even meet the standards of President Obama’s former advisors. Former Obama Administration officials released a letter just weeks ago expressing their concerns that the agreement will not prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapons capability. When President Obama’s own advisors speak out against the deal, you know there is a problem.

The agreement would fall short of “anytime, anywhere” inspections. The deal establishes a bureaucratic process to allow inspectors access to suspected nuclear sites. With Iran’s long history of blocking inspectors’ access to hide its nuclear program, I don’t see them changing now. Anytime, anywhere inspections are the only way to ensure that Iran is held accountable.

Under this agreement, Iran would not be required to dismantle key bomb making technology, is permitted to retain a vast enrichment capacity, will continue nuclear research and development and will have a nuclear program once this agreement begins to draw to an end in as little as a decade.

Additionally, Iran will receive as much as $150 billion in funds held abroad, and that’s just the beginning. It’s clear these increased economic incentives will not be use on the people of Iran. Instead, it will be used to grow Iran’s arsenal and fund a new generation of terrorism against our closest ally in the Middle East, Israel, and potentially here at home.

Now, Congress has 60 days to review this deal, and I intend to use every minute to educate you on the ramifications it could have. The American people, through their elected representatives, must have the final say on this deal to ensure that the Iranian regime is held accountable and the threat of their nuclear program is eliminated. We cannot hand Iran an unabridged opportunity to increase its nuclear capabilities or reportedly remove the United Nations arms embargo while they work hand-in-hand with terrorist organizations.
In the end, no deal is better than a bad deal.

Combatting sanctuary cities

I am working to strip federal funding for “sanctuary cities” in the wake of the tragic murder of 32-year-old Kate Steinle in one such city — San Francisco — allegedly by an illegal alien who is a seven-time felon.

So-called “sanctuary cities” resist or refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. To crack down on the practice, I cosponsored H.R. 3002, the Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities Act, to prohibit any federal funding for a minimum of one year to any state or local government which has a policy or law that prevents them from assisting immigration authorities in enforcing federal immigration law.

No entity that refuses to cooperate in getting criminals off the street should have the benefit of federal taxpayer dollars. As a former mayor, I find it appalling that anyone serving in public office would create a safe haven for dangerous illegal aliens who will take the lives of others like Kate Steinle.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported that 1,800 illegal immigrants released by sanctuary cities last year were charged with 7,490 new crimes, including the horrifying offenses of rape and child abuse. More than 1,000 of the offenders remain free.

These cities are not just imperiling their own citizens, they are putting at risk the safety of citizens across the country. If they continue to refuse to cooperate in the interest of public safety, Congress must act to ensure taxpayers are not on the hook to subsidize these misguided and dangerous policies.

How many violent crimes have to occur before we take a stand and say ‘enough’?

I am committed to working with my colleagues on House Homeland Security Committee to put an end to this dangerous practice.

From out nation’s Capitol

Monday, July 13: Having both grown up attending church, Amy and I try not to miss Sunday services regardless of where we are. After speaking to Georgia Pharmacy Association members at their annual convention on Saturday, we stopped in Kingsland on Sunday and worshiped at the Kingsland First Baptist Church.

Interim Pastor Rev. Larry Wilbur delivered an inspiring message and the congregation was most welcoming.

This morning I head over to Hilton Head to speak to the Georgia Rural Electric Managers’ Association, who are in town for their summer conference, before heading back to Savannah to board a flight to Washington.

Once back at the Capitol, I head to our weekly Whip Team meetingm where we discuss the upcoming legislation for the week. We also have the opportunity to hear from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who spent much of his childhood in Washington as his father was a member of Congress. Commissioner Goodell fielded a number of questions ranging from the NFL’s new policy on domestic violence to the under inflation of footballs used during games.

After our first and only series of votes of the day, we have a members-only meeting of the Committee on Homeland Security to discuss the countering violent extremism bill that we will be marking up in committee later this week.

Tuesday, July 14: The buzz at the Capitol this morning is that the President is holding a news conference at the White House to announce that the Iran nuclear deal has been finalized. While this has been expected for some time, the news is met with a mixture of skepticism and caution. After our weekly Republican Conference meeting, I head to a Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on criminal justice reform where we hear from two senators and two representatives who are proposing legislation on the subject before hearing from the governors of Alabama and West Virginia about their experiences on the subject.

Next, I head to my office where I meet with the Dean of Pharmacy at South University in Savannah, Kurt Jones, and his wife Missy before meeting with Richmond Hill resident Raquel Patrick. Chief Warrant Officer Patrick is currently stationed at Fort Gordon and shares with me her ground combat experiences and how the Army has been slow to integrate women in ground combat units.

Following our weekly staff meeting, I head to the House chamber, where I serve as speaker pro tem for special orders before heading over to the Senate chambers with my communications director to do a TV interview on the proposed Iran nuclear deal. Afterwards, I head back to my office where I do a phone interview on the Iran nuclear deal before meeting with representatives from the group Christians United for Israel.
Next, I head to the House chamber for our first and only series of votes for the day, and then head back to my office to meet with Jamie McCurry and others representing the Georgia Ports Authority on the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project.

Wednesday, July 15: My day starts with a radio interview with WTGS news talk hosts Bill Edwards and Laura Anderson to discuss, of course, the proposed Iran nuclear deal. Next, I head to my office where I meet with representatives of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities before heading to a meeting of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform where we continue our hearings on criminal justice reform.

My next meeting is with the Committee on Homeland Security where we have a hearing on the rise of radicalization in the U.S., before heading to the House chamber for our first vote series of the day. You can see my questions from the Committee on Homeland Security here. After heading back to my office to meet with the Georgia Corn Growers Association, followed by the American Transaction Processors Coalition, I head back to the Committee on Homeland Security, where we spend most of the afternoon marking up the countering violent extremism bill.

As is often the case during long committee meetings, votes are called during the meeting and we have to adjourn long enough to go to the House chamber to vote. Upon returning, we finish marking up the bill and it is passed out of committee.

Afterwards, I rush back to the House chamber where I speak on the importance of the Export-Import Bank and the need for important reforms.

Later, I have the chance to visit with Don Roeser (AKA Buck Dharma) who is the lead guitarist of the rock band Blue Oyster Cult, whose hits include “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper.” It was fascinating to meet Buck, and his wife of 43 years, who certainly did not fit the typical stereotype of a heavy metal rock star.

Very much a family man, Buck was joined by his son, daughter-in-law and 6-month-old granddaughter and shared with us the story behind his writing “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper.” In the early ’70’s, Buck had a heart arrhythmia and was forced to think of his own mortality and the possible afterlife.

He wrote the song about two lovers and how their love would continue even if one were to die. Of course, the song gained much notoriety as a result of a Saturday Night Live scene with Will Ferrell playing a cowbell.

Thursday, July 16: I start off this morning with yet another radio interview, this time with Scott Ryfun with WGIG in Brunswick, as we talk about the proposed Iran nuclear deal and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco.

Once I am back in my office, I meet with representatives from Lockheed Martin before heading to a meeting of the members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce to discuss upcoming legislation. Next, I head to a subcommittee meeting of the Committee on Homeland Security where we have a hearing on the Federal Air Marshall Service and its readiness to meet the evolving threat.

Afterwards, I head to the House chamber where we have our first and only series of votes of the day, before heading back to my office, where I meet with representatives of the Tanning Salon Association, followed by a meeting with Dr. Charles Z. Gardner and his family. Dr. Gardner is the senior pastor at Atlanta First United Methodist Church where Amy and I worship when we are in Atlanta. Before heading to the airport to board a flight back home, I record a welcoming message for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association that will be held in Savannah.