US Senate Republicans labored Monday to salvage bipartisan legislation granting lawmakers the right to review or even reject any agreement the Obama administration makes to lift sanctions on Iran in exchange for temporary constraints on Tehran’s nuclear program, the Associated Press reported.
Officials said Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hoped to avoid staging a showdown vote to limit debate on the measure. Democrats urged him to go ahead, as a way to avoid votes on proposed changes they opposed. “It’s the only path forward to pass this meritorious legislation,” said the party’s leader, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada. The legislation was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a unanimous vote last month, and supporters easily turned back a pair of proposed changes in early skirmishes on the Senate floor.
But the measure hit a snag last week after Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Tom Cotton proposed additional changes that drew strong objections from Senate Democrats, as well as from Republicans who favor keeping the bill free of controversial provisions that could prompt the White House to withdraw its support. Rubio, an announced presidential candidate, wants to require the Iranian government to recognize Israel before an agreement can be put into effect.
Since it is impossible that Iran recognizes Israel, the proposal is widely viewed as an attempt to scuttle any agreement with Tehran. At the same time, Democrats who are sympathetic to the negotiations with Iran would have a difficult time opposing the Israel-related proposal because of domestic politics.
Cotton’s amendment would require Obama to certify that Iran was not sponsoring acts of terror against America or its citizens before an agreement could take effect. As drafted, the legislation would block Obama from waiving congressional sanctions for at least 30 days while lawmakers weigh in on any final deal the US and five other nations reach with Iran. The White House backs the measure. It would take a separate piece of legislation for Congress to block implementation of any deal. Even if lawmakers were to approve a bill along those lines, the president could veto it.
