On Thursday afternoon, Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., voted 58-42 to filibuster the resolution against the deal, which mainstream media pitched as a victory for Obama.
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Aside from rejecting the Iran nuclear deal, the House also approved a separate resolution that will block the U.S. government from releasing billions of dollars held up through five years of crippling sanctions against Iran.
AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel group in the U.S., which like the AJC opposed the Iran deal, said the “American people deserved a direct up or down vote on the resolution of disapproval“, which until now has been the focus of opponents of the Iran deal. Four Senate Democrats joined with 54 Republicans who voted to move forward.
The agreement with Iran negotiated by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russian Federation and Germany ends economic sanctions against the Islamic republic in exchange for measures that prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Supporters of the deal argue it’s the best and only option to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, but critics say Iran is unlikely to live up to its side of the bargain, and that lifting sanctions will dangerously bolster its government.
For latest news on mobile and tablet, download IndiaTV Android app and iOS app. Should it be before or after a measure to reject the Iran deal gets to the president’s desk?
The House voted Thursday to adopt a resolution accusing the administration of failing to turn over all the relevant documents related to the deal, as they are required to do under rules set out in legislation passed this spring.
“Do not sacrifice the safety, the security and the stability of 300 million Americans for the legacy of one man”, Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., said as he stood next to a photo of the old World Trade Center towers burning on September 11, 2001.
If the vote is not reversed, President Barack Obama will have won a victory.
“As this agreement moves forward, we will be making progress for the cause of peace in the world“, Pelosi said.
Although Senate Democrats have made it highly unlikely Republicans will be able to dismantle the deal, congressional GOP leaders insist they haven’t given up. “I don’t know what they’re protecting him from”.
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Likely at issue is a bilateral agreement between UN’s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, and Iran that administration officials have been briefed on, but have not received.
