The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee could vote as soon as next week on a bill requiring U.S. President to submit any possible nuclear agreement with the Iranian regime to the U.S. Congress for approval. This was stated by Senator Bob Corker on Monday.
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee could vote as soon as next week on a bill requiring U.S. President to submit any possible nuclear agreement with the Iranian regime to the U.S. Congress for approval. This was stated by Senator Bob Corker on Monday.
Though the Republicans have been gearing up for this move for some time now, the bill may now come to pass. The move is a rebuke to the president. In a letter released last weekend, the Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told Corker that moving on his Iran legislation would “potentially prevent any deal from succeeding.”
In response, President Obama has threatened to veto the bill, saying it could disrupt the nuclear talks. The Congress would need the support of two-thirds of both the Senate and House to overcome a veto.
The chairman Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Republican Senator Corker has said to reporters at the U.S. Senate that he planned to move ahead with the legislation in the committee next week.
The committee’s top Democrat, Senator Robert Menendez, said the panel had not yet settled on a specific date to debate and vote on the bill. Menendez must also agree on a date for the panel to consider the legislation. Senator Corker has to make sure that the Democrats are in on his plan. A deal has to be struck with the Democrats within his own chamber that could rein their president back in by giving Congress the final word on Iran.
The Foreign Relations panel must approve the bill before it can be considered by the Senate. The full-Senate vote will probably not take place before mid-April because next week is the last opportunity before lawmakers leave Washington for a two-week recess.
The measure would also have to be approved by the House of Representatives to be sent to the White House for Obama’s signature or veto.
