The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known as the Iran nuclear agreement, was drafted to monitor Iran’s nuclear research and improve relations with the country.
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As negotiators neared a deal, Iran insisted that United Nations restrictions be lifted immediately to allow Tehran to import or export conventional weapons and buy ballistic missile technology.
“At the very least we should be able to provide some protection to Israel and long-overdue relief to Americans who’ve languished in Iranian custody for years“, McConnell said.
“I believe Congress owes the American people a final up or down vote“, McConnell said.
The GOP’s campaign against the nuclear agreement has been backed by the Israeli lobby in the United States, which has spent large amounts of money to spread propaganda against any deal with Tehran.
Late Thursday they agreed on a party-line 245-186 vote to a measure specifying that Obama had not properly submitted all documents related to the accord for Congress’ review, and therefore a 60-day review clock had not really started.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., accused the Republican leader of wasting precious time, noting lawmakers are faced with another potential government shutdown at the end of the month. Forty two Senate Democrats voted to block the Senate from having an up or down vote. “The outcome was the same”, he said after Tuesday’s vote.
With the optimism for their relationship riding on the successful implementation of the JCPOA, both sides took time to emphasize the importance of sticking to the deal.
Congress’s right to vote on the nuclear accord comes from legislation passed in the spring, on an overwhelming bipartisan majority.
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, another Democratic opponent of Obama’s nuclear deal, said he was still studying the proposal.
Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, a leading Democrat who opposes the deal, expressed a similar exasperation with the vote.
Instead, McConnell decided that the resolution of disapproval would only need a majority to pass, meaning it could succeed with no support from the Democrats. Reid and 50 members of his caucus changed the rules.
When pollsters provided information on monitoring and penalties for violations, support increased to 51 percent and opposition decreased to 41 percent.
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One day after the 14th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, McCaul recounted the rise of Islamist extremists worldwide, with Iran playing a leading role. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) is hoping that resolution will end in his favor Tuesday night.
