House to vote on Iran bill next week, GOP says

The US House of Representatives will vote next week on the Iran nuclear deal, Republican leadership said Wednesday, the first congressional step in a process President Barack Obama hopes will uphold his landmark accord.

“Next week the House will consider a resolution of disapproval of the Iran nuclear deal,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said in a statement.

“This vote will have an immense impact on our national security as well as the security of our friends and partners around the world,” he added.

The vote had been expected in September, but the timing was not previously known.

With most US lawmakers opposed to the accord, which aims to severely restrict Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for an easing of punishing economic sanctions, the resolution of disapproval is certain to pass the House.

“With a clear majority of Congress and the American people lining up in opposition to this deal, the House will not approve this deal. This is a bad deal for our country and for our allies,” McCarthy said.

Action would then shift to the Senate. Should the resolution pass both chambers, Obama will veto it, setting up votes in Congress to override his veto.

Such an override would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

But the White House earned a victory of sorts Wednesday when a retiring Senate Democrat became the crucial 34th senator to support the accord, ensuring that Obama’s veto would not be overturned and the deal would proceed.

The White House said it’s encouraged that more than a third of the Senate has announced support for the nuclear deal with Iran.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest called the growing support a validation of Obama’s effort to “make sure that every member of the Senate understands exactly what’s included in the agreement.” The deal sets Iran back so that it is at least a year away from being able to produce enough nuclear material for a weapon, before the restrictions ease after a decade.