Republican Senators to Biden: Frustrated Agreement with Iran If Congress Does Not Vote
A group of 33 senators has warned the US president that they will make it difficult to implement any agreement with Iran without passing it on to them. In Vienna
Reuters
08/02/2022
Tuesday, 08 February 2022, 11:45
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US President Joe Biden, February 7, 2022 (Photo: AP, Alex Brandon)
A group of 33 Republican senators has warned U.S. President Joe Biden that they will work to thwart the implementation of any new nuclear deal with Iran if the administration does not allow Congress to examine and vote for it.
In a letter sent yesterday (Monday) by senators to the Democratic president, they stressed that they would use the "range of options and means of pressure available" to ensure his government complies with laws governing any new agreement with Iran.
The group is led by Sen. Ted Cruz, a longtime opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal signed under the Obama administration.
The indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the United States on a reciprocal return to the agreement - from which President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018 are due to resume today in Vienna.
Reports of a possible agreement between the parties have led to a drop in oil prices, with markets predicting a possible lifting of sanctions on Iran's oil sales could increase global supplies.
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In the video: Bennett refers at a cabinet meeting to the emerging nuclear agreement with Iran (Photo: GPO)
Cruz and other Republican senators warned Biden that the implementation of any new agreement would be "significantly, if not humane," if he failed to fulfill his legal obligation to ensure congressional oversight of any changes to the nuclear deal.
They did not specify what steps they would take, but Republicans are using various tactics to slow down other Biden legislative initiatives or block presidential appointments, including to many ambassadorial positions.
The 100 seats in the Senate are divided equally between Democrats and Republicans, with the president's party having a tiebreaker thanks to Vice President Kamla Harris.
The party is likely to lose its majority in Congress after the midterm elections in November.
According to Republican senators, any nuclear deal with Iran has such an impact on United States national security that by definition it would be a treaty requiring consultation of members of Congress and the consent of two-thirds of senators.
Otherwise, they warned, any agreement not ratified by the Senate is likely to be rescinded in the early days of the next administration, in the assessment that Republicans will win the 2024 presidential election.
In addition, they cited a law passed in 2015 before the completion of the original nuclear deal, which requires that any new "agreement" relating to IRA's nuclear program be passed to Congress, which will review it for a period of 60 days.
During them, Congress will be able to pass a joint resolution that opposes the agreement, and in effect prevents its implementation.
According to them, these sections will be activated due to the progress that Iran has made in the past year towards the development of nuclear weapons, and therefore new means of supervision are needed.
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