98-1: Senate OKs Bill to Review Any Iran Deal

Lone holdout is White House critic Tom Cotton
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 7, 2015 2:56 PM CDT
98-1: Senate OKs Bill to Review Any Iran Deal
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., was the lone 'no' vote.   (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The Senate overwhelmingly backed legislation today that would let Congress review and possibly reject any final deal with Tehran. The vote was 98-1 for the bill that would give Congress a say on what could be a historic accord that the United States and five other nations are trying to finalize with Iran. The lone no vote came from freshman Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who wants the administration to submit any agreement to the Senate as a treaty. Under the Constitution, that would require approval of two-thirds of the Senate. The House is expected to vote next week on the measure.

"A nuclear-arms agreement with any adversary—especially the terror-sponsoring, Islamist Iranian regime—should be submitted as a treaty and obtain a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate as required by the Constitution," said Cotton. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the bill "offers the best chance for our constituents through the Congress they elect to weigh in on the White House negotiations with Iran." The Hill notes that if Congress reviewed a deal and rejected it, President Obama could override the move. The president initially opposed any such review, but he changed his mind given the number of Democrats in support of it. (More Senate stories.)

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