Pelosi said she was confident that if, as expected, Republicans pass a “resolution of disapproval” to try to sink the deal, a promised veto of that measure by President Barack Obama would be sustained. The bigger question many have now is this: How hard will he push against it? NSA Director Susan Rice, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Vice President Joe Biden have briefed Democratic members of Congress and held press conferences about the pact with hopes of changing the cold reception it has received thus far. “That shows the strength of the firewall we have here”, a senior Democratic congressional aide said.
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“But, yes, that was my military advice”, Dempsey, who is retiring in September, told the Senate Armed Services Committee. He said he would decide based on the merits of the deal, not lobbying from either side. “He’s a very persuasive person and he knows his subject so I have to assume that if minds are open, some will be affected”.
“More and more of them [House Democrats] have confirmed to me that they will be there to sustain the veto”, said Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to reporters on Sunday.
Schumer’s vote against the deal would give cover to the other dozen or so Democrats who would be inclined to vote against the agreement. “I’m in no rush to make a decision because there’s no rush to cast a vote”, Becerra said. And depending on how hard he lobbied against it, he could personally swing 5 or 6 Democrats his way.
Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) announced Monday that 218 lawmakers have signed onto a resolution disapproving of the nonproliferation deal that Obama unveiled earlier this month. With Schumer in line to become the next party leader in the Senate in 2016, some back bench Democrats might want to curry favor with the New York Senator by siding with him on the deal. Meng’s predecessor, Gary Ackerman, like Frank, a decades-long Jewish leader in the House, also opposes the deal.
There are about 40 days to go before Congress must vote on the agreement.
Schiff calls for making the nuclear deal stronger by taking a series of steps to ensure Iran is following the terms of the agreement and establishing “the expectation that while Iran will be permitted to have an enrichment capability for civilian use, it will never be permitted to produce highly enriched uranium”.
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Despite heavy criticism from Israel, Saudi Arabia and Gulf nations who are opposed to the agreement, the Obama administration has expressed its confidence that the security of the Middle East is safer under the nuclear accord.
