Senate Committee Prepares for Iran Hearing Following Nuclear Breakthrough
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., pledged to move forward with a markup on his Iran nuclear deal oversight bill in the coming days, after the U.S. and several other global powers struck a tentative accord with Iran on its long-term nuclear development on April 2. As previously planned, the committee will still debate and amend on April 14 his bill to require congressional approval on a final Iran nuclear accord, his office said in a Twitter post. Corker first scheduled the markup in March (see 1503230020). The chamber returns from recess on April 13.
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President Barack Obama championed the tentative agreement with Iran as "historic" (here). The White House outlined the terms of the deal in a release (here). Obama has repeatedly vowed to veto the congressional oversight bill (see 1501200072). Some business and trade advocates oppose stringent sanctions policy against Iran (see 1412090026). The White House still faces a June deadline for a final deal.
One of Corker's partners in introducing the oversight legislation, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., stepped down from his post as Foreign Relations ranking member on April 1 after the Department of Justice indicted him on corruption charges (here). In an emailed April 2 statement, Menendez still pushed Foreign Affairs committee lawmakers to approve the legislation. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., tapped Ben Cardin, D-Md., to succeed Menendez (here). Cardin released a guarded statement on April 2 on the Iran deal, saying "Congress has a role to play in this process" but refraining from comment on the markup (here). A Cardin spokeswoman said he may make an announcement on the markup in the coming days.
House Republicans lobbied hard for the oversight legislation following the news of the tentative deal. "My longtime concerns about the parameters of this potential agreement remain, but my immediate concern is the administration signaling it will provide near-term sanctions relief," said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, in an April 2 statement (here). "Congress must be allowed to fully review the details of any agreement before any sanctions are lifted."