WASHINGTON
The Senate passed a bipartisan bill on Thursday that would give Congress a voice to review any international nuclear agreement with Iran.
"A nuclear-arms agreement with any adversary—especially the terror sponsoring, Islamist Iranian regime—should be submitted as a treaty and obtain a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate as required by the Constitution," Sen. Tom Cotton before casting the only ”nay” vote.
The 98-1 vote now sends the bill to the House of Representatives where a vote there is expected next week.
If it passes the House, the legislation would prevent President Barack Obama from waiving congressional sanctions against Iran.
The bill will require Obama to submit any final agreement with Iran to Congress, which will have 30 days to review the accord, an additional 12 days for Obama to accept or veto legislation that Congress passes, and 10 days for Congress to decide on a potential veto override vote, according to U.S. media.
Obama could lift executive sanctions during the 30-day review window, but would not be
allowed to take similar action on congressional sanctions.
If a final nuclear deal were submitted to Congress after July 9, the review period would be extended to 60 days – a timeframe that lawmakers had initially sought.
Negotiators from the U.S. and other world powers are attempting to broker a landmark accord with Iran that would see the Islamic republic accept restrictions and unprecedented inspections on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
A June 30 deadline is set for an agreement on a final accord following a hard-fought political framework deal brokered earlier in April.
