Last attempt by Republicans to block Iran nuclear deal fails
Big News Network.com
Thursday 17th September, 2015
WASHINGTON – Republican senates suffered their third defeat on Thursday when Democrats successfully blocked a legislation meant to kill the Iran nuclear deal, thus securing a major diplomatic victory for President Barack Obama
It was the last the Republican’s last bid to stop the implementation of the pact that the United States and five other major world powers — Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France and Germany – inked with Iran in July to limit its ambitious nuclear activities in return of lifting economic sanctions against the Islamic republic.
The legislation was blocked by a vote of 56-42. The Republican-majority Senate thus fell short of the 60 votes needed in the 100-member chamber to advance the legislation.
All but four of Obama’s fellow Democrats backed the nuclear pact announced in July.
With no more Senate votes this week, the result ensured Congress will not pass a resolution of disapproval that would have crippled the deal by eliminating Obama’s ability to waive many sanctions.
A disapproval resolution would have had to pass both the Senate and House of Representatives by midnight Thursday, and survive Obama’s veto, to be enacted.
The Senate’s Republican majority leader, Mitch McConnell, earlier held two votes trying to advance the disapproval measure, but failed to lure any more Democrats into voting for it after it first came up in the Senate a week ago.
McConnell on Thursday introduced an amendment to the measure that would bar the president from lifting sanctions on Iran unless it recognized Israel’s right to exist and released American prisoners.
Democrats have argued for months that the agreement should not be tied to non-nuclear issues.
With Democrats objecting to adding non-nuclear issues to consideration of the nuclear deal, the procedural vote was 53-45, meaning the measure failed to attract the 60 votes it would need to advance.
The White House has been fighting a tough campaign in the legislative branch to convince lawmakers to support the pact. Lawmakers had until Thursday to evaluate the contents of the accord. Obama had already warned that he will use his veto if Congress passes any legislation designed to scotch the deal.
