Democratic Rep. Tim Walz formally gets behind Iran deal

WASHINGTON -- Democratic Rep. Tim Walz's office formally declared the congressman's support for the Iran deal Tuesday, calling it the best chance the United States has in gutting the country's current nuclear program.

Walz, who represents the First Congressional District, wasn't exactly on the fence about the deal when he talked to the Star Tribune about it a couple weeks ago.

"I'm really struggling with the folks on the other side. Of course you don't trust Iran, that's why you need inspectors on the ground," he said, from his Capitol Hill office last month. "I don't know of a better deal. The ideal situation is Iran says we're totally sorry, you guys are right, here's all our stuff, we'll never say anything bad about you again and we love the Cowboys. I think that's what people think. They're not going to do that."

On Tuesday, Walz called the deal far from perfect and said he harbors no illusions that the "hate and violence of the Iranian regime will fade" after the agreement goes into effect.

But, he said, it was the best option on the table.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Monday affirmed she supported the deal. Republican Reps. Erik Paulsen, Tom Emmer and John Kline have all said they were disappointed in the framework of the agreement. Democratic Reps. Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum affirmed support early.

Democratic Sen. Al Franken said he is strongly leaning towards supporting the deal, but his office said he hasn't said he is definitively supporting it.

(Franken sat out a speech in March by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress warning of implications to Israel if Congress approved it.)

The vote on the agreement is next month.