Senate starts Iran debate

Senators began debate on Iran legislation Thursday, with Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) making their opening salvos on the proposal. 

Cardin, the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, urged senators to maintain the bipartisan nature of the legislation on curbing Iran’s nuclear capabilites, which passed unanimously out of the Foreign Relations Committee earlier this month. 

{mosads}“What we did in the bill that we bring forward to you is a compromise,” the Maryland Democrat said. “Let’s see the amendments and try to work with you on the amendments. Let’s maintain the bipartisan cooperation we have here.”

Corker, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman who is facing skepticism within his own party over the bill, said that without the legislation, the president can “go straight to the U.N. Security Council … and implement whatever deal he wants to implement with Iran.” 

He acknowledged that senators have a “tremendous amount of work,” but called on lawmakers to bring forward any amendments.  

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said he plans to offer or support amendments that would require any final deal to be submitted as a treaty to Iran, that would require the administration to submit any breaches of a final deal to Congress — instead of just material breaches — and that Iran wouldn’t get sanctions relief until they “live up to their international obligations.”  

The Arkansas Republican said that includes closing the Fordow site, fulfilling obligations to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the president being able to certify that the country isn’t making intercontinental ballistic missiles and that Iran is no longer a state sponsor of terrorism.

Democrats, as well as President Obama, have pressed for Iran’s support of terrorism to be separate from the ongoing nuclear talks. 

Cardin said Thursday that “we’re not talking about actions we’ve taken against Iran for terrorism or human rights violations. That’s a separate issue.” 

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) also warned his colleagues against introducing “poisonous” amendments. 

“Sometimes you got to know when you hit a home run and be able to cross the plate. … Not think you’re still stuck in the dugout,” he said. “I urge my colleagues to suppress any intentions that would drive this to a point that we can’t have that strong vote.” 

But Cotton said that he looks forward to voting on these amendments, though he noted that he will likely miss some of the Iran debate. 

“By the time this bill hits the floor next week for debating and voting, I expect my first child will have arrived,” the Arkansas Republican said. “But I will not allow my son to live under the threat of a nuclear Iran.”