WASHINGTON
— A bill that would give Congress a voice in any nuclear agreement
between world powers and Iran passed the Senate overwhelmingly on
Thursday afternoon.
The measure, which was approved 98 to 1,
withstood months of tense negotiations, White House resistance, the
indictment of one of its sponsors and a massive partisan kerfuffle over a
speech to Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just as
an accord was coming together. The lone vote against the bill was cast
by Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas.
The
House is expected to take up the Senate measure as early as next week.
“I look forward to House passage of this bill to hold President Obama’s
administration accountable,” House Speaker John A. Boehner said in a
prepared statement.
Republican
infighting prevented a debate of significant amendments to the bill,
leaving some members deeply unhappy that they were unable to weigh in
further on a matter that many said was the most significant of their
careers. But in the end, a bipartisan accord that seemed nearly
impossible in the upper chamber just a few months ago came together by a
convincing margin.
“Let
me be clear,” Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the
majority leader, said on the Senate floor Thursday, as he encouraged
senators to approve the bill while noting the procedural fights that
hobbled the process. “Our response to this should not be to give the
American people no say at all,” adding, “Make no mistake that will this
not be the end of the story.”
Republicans
and Democrats had gingerly worked out a deal to allow votes on a few
amendments to the bill. But that arrangement fell apart when Senator
David Vitter, Republican of Louisiana, used procedural moves to stall
the bill Wednesday.
Mr.
Vitter, long an antagonist to Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada,
when he was majority leader, became one for Mr. McConnell this week. The
majority leader wanted to show both parties that he could pass
legislation with ample room to debate amendments, but Mr. Vitter refused
to go along with his colleagues, ending the process Thursday.
“I
am deeply disappointed by the direction this debate has taken,” said
Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida and a candidate for
president, who had wanted to debate an amendment that would force Iran
to recognize Israel.
Mr.
McConnell desperately wanted to get through the Iran matter on the
Senate floor to move on to a difficult and contentious trade agreement
before critics rip it to shreds.
The interim agreement reached between Iran and six world powers would dismantle much of Iran’s nuclear program,
dispose of most of the nuclear material that could be used to make an
atomic weapon, strictly limit Iran’s enrichment of uranium and set up an
international inspection regime in exchange for a lifting of economic
sanctions.
The
bill that passed the Senate Thursday would require that the
administration send the text of a final accord, along with classified
material, to Congress as soon as it was completed. It also halts any
lifting of sanctions pending a 30-day congressional review, and
culminates in a possible vote to allow or forbid the lifting of
congressionally imposed sanctions in exchange for the dismantling of
much of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
“I think the American people want the United States Senate
and the House of the Representatives on their behalf to ensure that
Iran is held accountable,” said Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, the
chairman of the foreign relations committee who shepherded the bill.
The
bill in question, originally introduced in February by Mr. Corker and
Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, enjoyed bipartisan
support because its central concern was congressional prerogative. But
the politics of the bill were immediately scrambled when Mr. Netanyahu
gave a speech to Congress against the wishes of the White House and the
majority of Democrats.
Soon
after, Mr. Cotton, wrote a confrontational open letter to the Iranian
government and got most of his Republican colleagues to sign on. Then,
in another twist, Mr. Menendez was indicted and stepped down from the
committee, leaving Senator Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland, who is far
less hawkish, in charge of the Democrats’ role in the bill.
Subsequent fights over amendments ended Thursday with nothing of significance done to change the final measure. [source]
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