McConnell Will Move Iran Bill Forward Without Controversial Amendments From Senate Hawks
WASHINGTON -- In a defeat for Republican Party hawks, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) cut off debate on a Senate bill on the Iran nuclear agreement without consideration of amendments that demand more conditions from the Iranians.
The legislation, which will likely go to the Senate floor on Thursday, gives Congress up to 52 days to approve any forthcoming Obama administration request to lift sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on the country’s nuclear program.
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By filing for cloture and moving the bill to the floor as is, McConnell helps preserve a delicate agreement negotiated by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and ranking member Ben Cardin (D-Md.), which passed the committee unanimously. However, the move will likely open McConnell to criticism from his own party, as well as to chiding from Democrats.
Jentleson was referring to Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark). Late last week, Cotton, a vocal freshman hawk, surprised his party's leadership when he used an obscure parliamentary procedure to force a vote on a package of amendments further limiting the president's ability to facilitate sanctions relief and cementing "anytime, anywhere" inspections of Iran nuclear sites. Also included was an amendment from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) that required Iran to recognize Israel as a Jewish state before any deal was finalized. Because of the way Cotton filed his amendment package, the Senate could not vote on any of the 66 pending amendments before addressing his proposed changes.
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