Diplomacy

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Iran Bill Passes Senate Banking Committee with Overwhelming Bipartisan Support

by TheTower.org Staff |

The Senate Banking Committee today passed the Iran Nuclear Free Act of 2015 by a vote of 18 – 4 with strong bipartisan support.

Politico reports:

The Senate Banking Committee approved the bill, which was written by Sens. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), on a 18-4 vote with six Democrats voting in favor of the legislation.  …

“This legislation has been carefully calibrated to achieve our ultimate goal, which is to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapon capability,” Menendez said before the committee vote. “The timing may be an issue, but I think, if the essence of the legislation is brought up at the right time, it would have broad bipartisan support, which I think is essential at the end of the day to send the world and to send Iran the messages that we have sent in the past so that as they calibrate their decision-making they understand that we are very closely unified in our goal.”

In addition to Menendez, Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York, Jon Tester of Montana, Mark Warner Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Donnelly of Indiana also voted for the bill.

Though there is no floor vote yet scheduled for the legislation, which is also known as the Kirk-Menendez bill, Democratic supporters of the bill have said that they will not support bringing it up for a vote until March 24.

Politico notes that the strong Democratic support for the bill “put[s] the White House in an awkward position,” as President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the legislation. However, the strong bipartisan support for the bill suggests that there is enough support to override a potential veto.

In announcing the Joint Plan of Action agreement with Iran in November 2013, President Obama gave the Islamic Republic six months to meet its commitments or “we will turn off the relief and ratchet up the pressure.” He also promised to “to work closely with Congress” and stated that “[t]he burden is on Iran to prove to the world that its nuclear program will be exclusively for peaceful purposes.”

[Photo: Senator Tom Cotton / YouTube ]

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