Rep. Nadler Says Iran Deal Isn't Perfect, But He'll Support It

Congressman Jerrold Nadler is the first Jewish member of New York's congressional delegation to express support for the president's controversial deal with Iran.

In an interview with WNYC, he said the deal is far from perfect, but he believes it's the best alternative to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

In exchange, the president's plan calls for dropping sanctions against Iran.

"The question is, could you get a better deal if you went back to the negotiating table, and more to the point, could you force Iran back to the negotiating table and get a better deal? My conclusion was you could not," Nadler said.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer has come out against the deal. Nadler said despite fellow New York elected officials arriving at different conclusions about the deal, they're all "doing a conscientious job," and he respects them as friends and colleagues.

"You can agree or disagree with their conclusions, but you shouldn't doubt their motives," he said. "[Saying] that they're enemies of Israel, or traitors to this country...that poisons the discourse."

In this interview, WNYC's Richard Hake talks with Nadler about his decision to support the deal and whether the lawmakers' views align with those of his constituency.