Chris Lieberman, FISM News
Forty-nine of the 50 Senate Republicans signed on to a joint statement Monday voicing their opposition to the Biden administration’s emerging new nuclear deal with Iran.
“By every indication, the Biden administration appears to have given away the store,” the statement said in regard to the potential new agreement. “The administration appears to have agreed to lift sanctions that were not even placed on Iran for its nuclear activities in the first place, but instead because of its ongoing support for terrorism and its gross abuses of human rights.”
The Republicans went on to state their aims, saying, “Republicans have made it clear: We would be willing and eager to support an Iran policy that completely blocks Iran’s path to a nuclear weapons capability, constrains Iran’s ballistic missile program, and confronts Iran’s support for terrorism. But if the administration agrees to a deal that fails to achieve these objectives or makes achieving them more difficult, Republicans will do everything in our power to reverse it.”
Republicans also warned of a new deal strengthening Iran’s ties to Russia and China, saying, “What is more, the deal appears likely to deepen Iran’s financial and security relationship with Moscow and Beijing, including through arms sales.”
Rand Paul was the only Republican Senator who opted not to sign the letter. Paul wrote in a statement Monday, “Condemning a deal that is not yet formulated is akin to condemning diplomacy itself, not a very thoughtful position.”
The GOP letter comes as the Biden administration seeks to finalize a deal with Iran to replace the previous nuclear deal nixed by the Trump administration.
In 2015, the Obama administration along with other major powers negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a deal that lifted international sanctions on Iran in exchange for Iran halting its nuclear program for 15 years. At the time, Republicans warned that the agreement did not go far enough to restrict Iran’s nuclear capabilities and would be difficult to enforce.
All congressional Republicans and even a handful of Democrats opposed the JCPOA, which was never submitted to Congress for approval. In response to the deal, Congress passed the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA), which gives Congress the right to review any nuclear deal with Iran.
The Trump administration pulled out of the JCPOA in May 2018, instead opting for a “maximum pressure” campaign with increased sanctions on the Islamic nation. But upon his election in 2020, President Biden indicated willingness to revive a nuclear deal with Iran. Last year, representatives from the European Union, along with other major powers including Russia and China, began talks in Vienna with Iran as a means of forming a new deal with the U.S.
Republicans claim that the Biden administration is violating the INARA, saying, “The administration has thus far refused to commit to submit a new Iran deal to the Senate for ratification as a treaty, as per its constitutional obligation, or for review under statutory requirements that passed on a bipartisan basis in response to the 2015 deal. Additionally, despite earlier promises to the contrary, the administration has failed to adequately consult with Congress.”
While the Republicans’ statement threatened to force a Senate vote should the agreement go through, it is unlikely that they would be able to kill the deal. While they may be able to get enough votes to achieve a simple majority, it is unlikely that the GOP would be able to muster enough Democratic support for a supermajority to override a President Biden veto.