Lawmakers look to salvage Iran bill amid showdown threat

Facing a presidential veto threat and Republican efforts to amend legislation, battle continues for Congressional oversight of nuclear deal

By Deb Riechmann 5 May 2015, 7:54 am

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L to R, US Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), US Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota), and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) speak to the media during a news conference after a policy meeting with Senate Republicans, on Capitol Hill, April 28, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans labored Monday to salvage bipartisan legislation granting lawmakers the right to review or even reject any agreement the Obama administration makes to ease sanctions on Iran in exchange for concessions on nuclear research and development.

Officials said Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hoped to avoid staging a showdown vote to limit debate on the measure, a move that could split his own party’s rank and file.

Democrats urged him to go ahead anyway, 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 Iranian leaders to recognize the right of Israel to exist before an agreement can be put into effect.

Since Iran is committed to the destruction of 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.