Debbie Wasserman Schultz Becomes First Jewish Representative In US Congress To Back Iran Nuclear Deal

Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has joined the list of people supporting President Obama for the Iran nuclear deal. The congresswoman’s entry is much talked about because of her Jewish origin.

Schultz is the first Jewish-American congresswoman from Florida. Schultz said Sunday that she would vote in favor of the nuclear agreement in Congress even though she still had some concerns regarding the deal.

"In weighing everything, all the information, I've concluded the best thing to do is vote in support of the Iran deal and put Iran years away from being a nuclear state," Wasserman Schultz told CNN.

She said that her decision and the process she had gone through to reach it would ensure Israel’s existence “forever.”

"We have a concept of l'dor v'dor -- from generation to generation -- there's nothing more important to me, as a Jew, than to ensure Israel's existence is there throughout our generations," she said, adding that it was the most difficult decision she had to make during her 23 years of service.

The Democratic Party Chairwoman said that Schultz had regularly been briefed on the agreement in the White House Situation Room over the past two years. She said that he had got assurance from intelligence officials “in no uncertain terms” that Iran’s own inspectors would not verify the compliance of the agreement.

Schultz also said that she informed Obama about her decision to back the deal. Wall Street Journal reported that the leading Jewish lawmaker’s vote was seen as influential with other Democrats.

On twitter, Obama earlier thanked Colin Powell for backing the deal. The U.S. president thanked the former secretary of state for putting his “experience and expertise behind” the “important initiative” for the U.S.