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The RJC recently held two very successful events with Republican governors who are outstanding leaders: Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia and Governor Greg Abbott of Texas.

Gov. Kemp is in a must-win race to retain his seat in a key battleground state. The Democrats are throwing everything they can – money, mud, and misinformation – into taking down Gov. Kemp and installing election-denying Stacey Abrams in his place. Democrats are trying to keep radical Democrat Raphael Warnock in the Senate and permanently remove Republicans from leadership positions in the state.

In this intense political environment, the RJC was proud to offer Gov. Kemp an opportunity to meet and speak with hundreds of RJC members who care about the future of their state and their country.

Gov. Greg Abbott leads a state that is on the front lines of some of the most important policy issues of our day. Gov. Abbott spoke about his efforts to support law enforcement, standing up to efforts to defund the police. He has been a fighter for economic growth in Texas, which now ranks #1 in job creation, economic development, and starting a small business. Gov. Abbott has taken steps to deal with the historic influx of illegal immigrants that has so impacted communities in Texas and around the country. And he has helped to build strong economic ties between his state and the State of Israel.

We were thrilled that our Texas event was joined by former US ambassador to the United Nations – and former South Carolina governor - Nikki Haley. As she told the cheering crowd, “Thank your lucky stars that you’ve got a governor with a spine… Strong governors matter.”

You can watch the entire event with Gov. Abbott and Nikki Haley here.

Adam Kredo at the Washington Free Beacon reports on testimony provided to Congress indicating that, "Iran will use cash assets provided by the Biden administration as part of a new nuclear accord to fund regional terror groups and enhance the capabilities of a militant network committed to assassinating US officials."

Gen. Stephen Townsend, who led US Africa Command until August of this year, in March warned Congress that Iran is certain to use "at least some of the resources gained from sanctions relief to" increase its illicit shipment of advanced weapons to terror groups operating in Africa and the Near East region, according to written information he provided to Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) after a public hearing before Congress.

In addition to boosting Iran's terror allies like the Houthi rebels in Yemen, sanctions relief will enable Tehran to expand its Iranian Threat Network, a group of terror cells run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps's Quds Force that is focused on assassinating American officials, according to Townsend.

With this threat in mind:

[A] coalition of Republican lawmakers on Wednesday introduced new legislation that would bar the Biden administration from implementing the accord until it can certify to Congress that Iran has not engaged in assassination plots on Americans in five years. The bill, which is sponsored by [Sen. Joni] Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), was sparked by Iran's ongoing efforts to assassinate former US officials like former national security adviser John Bolton and former secretary of state Mike Pompeo.

Sen. Ernst and Rep. Waltz said on Wednesday:

"It's hard to fathom that, after countless attacks on Americans, and multiple confirmed plots against US officials, the Biden administration continues to cozy up to Iran in hopes of a mythical, so-called nuclear deal," said Sen. Ernst. "President Biden should not provide a dime of sanctions relief to the largest state sponsor of terrorism, which is actively trying to kill U.S officials and citizens, at home and abroad. The PUNISH Act will ensure Iran continues to feel maximum pressure from the United States."

"The Iran Regime is actively using its proxies to carry out attacks and threaten US officials despite the Biden Administration’s ongoing efforts to negotiate a nuclear deal that will further enrich the world largest state sponsor of terrorism," said Rep. Waltz. "The Biden Administration has a duty to protect its citizens from the Iran Regime’s proxies who have already carried out an attack on Salman Rushdie, plotted an assassination against former National Security Advisor John Bolton. Maximum pressure sanctions must be retained against the Iranian Regime."

The RJC strongly supports the new bill, which would codify President Donald Trump’s "maximum pressure" sanctions on Iran.

National Chairman Norm Coleman said:

It is absolute lunacy that the Biden administration is trying to do a deal with the Iranians while the regime in Tehran is openly plotting to assassinate recent top US officials and other regime foes living in this country. The PUNISH Act Senator Ernst and Congressman Waltz have introduced will stop the madness by making any nuclear deal with Iran contingent on the cessation of threats and skullduggery. Democratic leaders in Congress should work with the PUNISH Act's sponsors to quickly pass this bill and put a reasonable restraint on the President's headlong rush into a dangerous deal.

Also this week, Morgan Ortagus writes at the Wall Street Journal that Biden’s Iran policy allows the growing ties between Iran to Russia to flourish and lets Iran help Russia beat sanctions that were imposed after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. In addition to Russia gaining economically from its relationship with Iran, American Iran policy allows Russia to get military equipment from Iran to use against Ukraine.

And Jewish Policy Center Senior Director Shoshana Bryen explains “what the US and Iran agree on,” namely: "neither wants a nuclear-related deal right now, but neither wants to close off the possibility for future conversation." Even if the current Vienna talks appear moribund, a terrible nuclear deal with Iran, like a horror movie villain, will very likely return for another sequel after the 2022 elections.

RJC National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman shares his insights into the candidates and races of 2022 each week in a special "Notes from Norm" email, sent out on Fridays.

Watch your email box for these insider assessments of the most important battles in this terribly important election year. Previous editions can be found here.

It’s time for the next generation of conservatives to step up

US Senator Todd Young (R-IN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, draws an important lesson from the successes of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, suggesting that in facing current challenges, conservatives need to: "put forward genuine solutions that bring our longstanding principles – right-sized government, faith in our communities, and reverence for institutions – in line with fresh problem-solving."

Biden Is working to undermine America’s authority at the UN

Elliott Abrams writes that President Joe Biden’s recommended "reform" for the United Nations Security Council "reflects the victory of fashionable opinion over careful thinking about US interests." One such reform would limit the US use of our veto – which has been used 53 times "to protect Israel from hostile, one-sided, hopelessly unfair resolutions."

RJC offices are open! Contact information for our offices can be found on our website. Please visit us online for the latest RJC news, to see details of upcoming events, and to donate to the RJC. Read past editions of this newsletter here.