Two views of the Iran nuclear deal, from two Pa. legislators

(Harrisburg) — The debate over the Iran nuclear deal has divided Democrats and Republicans.

Midstate Republican Congressman Lou Barletta opposes lifting economic sanctions for Iran in exchange for monitoring of its nuclear program.

He says the time limit is concerning.

“What do we tell our children and grandchildren ten years from now when Iran has a nuclear weapon and they’re wealthy? How do you deal with them then? I just don’t understand. I know that many say that it was the best deal possible. Well I was in business, I don’t make a deal unless it’s a good deal.”

“I don’t understand how giving them billions of dollars, over a hundred billion dollars and then say, well we’ve delayed this for ten years. Well that’s a heck of a thing when we’re talking about a nuclear bomb. I don’t want to delay it for ten years, I don’t want them ever to have the capability of having a nuclear weapon so I wouldn’t make that deal.”

But Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey doesn’t buy Barletta’s arguments.

“They’re two to three months from breakout. They’re two to three months from having enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon, right now. And people in Washington keep talking about threshold nuclear state, they’re a threshold nuclear state right now.”

Casey says he’s confident this is the best deal that could be made.

“I was not persuaded that there’s a realistic alternative to achieve the same results.”

But Barletta says no agreement is better than approving the one in front Congress.

Both the House and Senate are expected to vote down the Iran nuclear deal, but President Obama has enough support from senators to sustain a veto.

A vote is expected this month.