Congress nearly unanimous in its dismay over Obama’s Iran policy
Significant majorities in the House and Senate do not trust the president when it comes to Iran. That is the major take away from two letters, one signed by 83 senators and one by 395 House members. The House letter goes into greater detail on verification of any deal while the Senate is more specific about the requirements needed to disable Iran’s illicit nuclear weapons program. The gist of the letters, however, is the same: Congress will in essence need to approve any final deal because legislative action is needed to lift sanctions; a final deal must disable Iran’s capacity to build a nuclear weapon; and stringent verification must be agreed to.
President Obama speaks by telephone with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.<br />(Pete Souza for the White House via Agence France-Press)
President Obama speaks by telephone with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in September.
The House letter adds: “Finally, although the P5+1 process is focused on Iran’s nuclear program, we remain deeply concerned by Iran’s state sponsorship of terrorism, its horrendous human rights record, its efforts to destabilize its neighbors, its pursuit of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and its threats against our ally, Israel, as well as the fates of American citizens detained by Iran. We want to work with you to address these concerns as part of a broader strategy of dealing with Iran.