Congress likely can’t stop new Iran nuke deal

‘The president will get his way’: Congress likely can’t stop new Iran nuke deal

Politico- March 31st 2022

By ANDREW DESIDERIO

If the Biden administration can clinch a new nuclear deal with Iran, it’s likely in for a 2015 throwback in Congress.

The original U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement set off a partisan battle on the Hill as hawks tried and failed to block then-President Barack Obama’s implementation of the deal, even as a majority of lawmakers went on-record opposing it. Congress could be on track for the same jostling in the coming weeks — this time with higher stakes and political risk given the proximity to a midterm election in which Republicans are already favored to win big.

If the Biden administration can clinch a new nuclear deal with Iran, it’s likely in for a 2015 throwback in Congress.

The original U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement set off a partisan battle on the Hill as hawks tried and failed to block then-President Barack Obama’s implementation of the deal, even as a majority of lawmakers went on-record opposing it. Congress could be on track for the same jostling in the coming weeks — this time with higher stakes and political risk given the proximity to a midterm election in which Republicans are already favored to win big.

“It’ll be an interesting and challenging path here,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a Biden ally who generally supports the administration’s efforts. “But it completely depends on what the deal is, and if there even is one.”

The revived Iran talks, a top priority for Biden, are incredibly delicate at the moment, as U.S. officials warn that Iran is closer than ever to producing enough material for a bomb. Republicans are uniformly opposed to a new agreement, and several Democrats have expressed reservations surrounding the current negotiations.

Read more on the original:

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/31/biden-congress-new-iran-nuke-deal-00021853