Obama threatens to say ‘No’ to Congress over Iran. US President Obama. Illustrative. Photo Courtesy of UN Photo/Mark Garten
The administration of US President Barack Obama is working with major world powers to formulate a negotiated settlement on Iran’s nuclear program, but there’s one party the President doesn’t want at the table: the US Congress. Members of the American legislature, which passed a number of sanctions on Iran over the latter’s illegal nuclear program that would be eventually removed in a deal, proposed a bill last week that would require President Obama to submit an agreement with Iran to Congressional review before rolling back sanctions.
But The Hill reported that on Saturday a spokesperson for Obama’s administration made it clear such a bill, which received public backing from multiple members of Obama’s own political party, would be vetoed by the President. A key reason given is that the negotiations are in their final stretch, and such a Congressional bill would be a “complicating” factor in the talks. But an originator of the bill pointed out that without Congressional input, buy generic viagra 50mg online Obama alone will decide America’s decision on Iran.
“It is disappointing that the President feels he is the only one who speaks for the citizens of our country,” said Senator Bob Corker in a press statement on his website.
Noting that sanctions on Iran emplaced by Congress “helped bring” the Iranians to the negotiating table in the first place, he said that “Congress should decide whether a final nuclear deal with Iran is appropriate enough to have the congressionally mandated sanctions removed.”
The bill would require that Congress receive a copy of any deal with Iran and be given 60 days to discuss it. If Congress makes no decision on the deal or approves it, the deal would go forward. Only a Congressional decision to overturn the deal would prevent it from happening.
During those 60 days, sanctions relief for Iran could not begin without a Congressional decision.
The international negotiations with Iran are an effort to peacefully resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program, which is suspected of being part of an effort to develop nuclear weapons.
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, March 2, 2015)