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House Rejects Iran Nuclear Deal House Rejects Iran Nuclear Deal
(about 3 hours later)
WASHINGTON — Following the playbook of their crusade against the Affordable Care Act, congressional Republicans on Friday showed no sign of letting up in their effort to pressure the White House over the Iran nuclear accord, even after the Senate effectively settled the matter and blocked a Republican resolution aimed at stopping the deal.WASHINGTON — Following the playbook of their crusade against the Affordable Care Act, congressional Republicans on Friday showed no sign of letting up in their effort to pressure the White House over the Iran nuclear accord, even after the Senate effectively settled the matter and blocked a Republican resolution aimed at stopping the deal.
The House, as expected, rejected the Iran deal overwhelmingly, in a vote that was sharply along partisan lines. The House, as expected, rejected the Iran deal overwhelmingly, a vote that was sharply along partisan lines.
Some House Republicans also said they were contemplating a lawsuit that would claim that the White House failed to disclose the full details of the nuclear accord as required by a law adopted last spring. And the Senate had scheduled a repeat vote on Tuesday, trying to bait any wavering Democrats to switch their position. Some House Republicans also said they were contemplating a lawsuit that would claim that the White House failed to disclose the full details of the nuclear accord as required by a law adopted last spring. And the Senate has scheduled a repeat vote on Tuesday, trying to bait any wavering Democrats to switch their position.
Senate Democratic leaders said they were confident their ranks would hold. But there was some exasperation as Democrats recognized that they would be in for another never-ending battle, presumably continuing through the 2016 presidential and congressional elections and possibly beyond. Senate Democratic leaders said they were confident their ranks would hold. But there was some exasperation as they recognized that they would be in for a protracted battle, at least through the 2016 presidential and congressional elections and possibly beyond.
“This highlights one of the great problems we have wrestled with over the last couple of years, which is nothing is ever over,” said Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the senior Democrat on the House Select Committee on Intelligence. “We used to have political fights and when they were done, you moved on to the next fight. But unfortunately in today’s climate nothing is ever over. It’s re-litigated constantly.”“This highlights one of the great problems we have wrestled with over the last couple of years, which is nothing is ever over,” said Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, the senior Democrat on the House Select Committee on Intelligence. “We used to have political fights and when they were done, you moved on to the next fight. But unfortunately in today’s climate nothing is ever over. It’s re-litigated constantly.”
On Friday, House Republicans began venting their rage by forcing Democrats to vote on a resolution approving the contentious agreement with Iran rather than on the long-expected measure disapproving the accord — a maneuver intended to show how little support the deal had in the Republican-controlled chamber, and to force Democrats to be on record in backing the accord. On Friday, House Republicans began venting their rage by forcing Democrats to vote on a resolution approving the Iran agreement rather than on the long-anticipated measure disapproving the accord — a maneuver intended to show how little support the deal had in the Republican-controlled chamber, and to force Democrats to be on record in backing the agreement.
The House speaker, John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, denounced the deal, offering a long litany of how it would fail to achieve goals promised by Mr. Obama, including stopping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, denounced the deal, offering a long litany of how it would fail to achieve goals promised by President Obama, including stopping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
“This is all without Iran cheating,” Mr. Boehner said, his voice heavy with incredulity and dismay. “That’s right, this is such a bad deal the ayatollah won’t even have to cheat to be steps away from a nuclear weapon.” “This is all without Iran cheating,” Mr. Boehner said. “That’s right, this is such a bad deal the ayatollah won’t even have to cheat to be steps away from a nuclear weapon.”
Shortly after Mr. Boehner’s floor speech, House Republicans added the exclamation point: The measure in support of the Iran deal failed with 244 Republicans and 25 Democrats voting against it and 162 Democrats in favor.
While the vote certainly demonstrated Republican opposition, it also showed the success of a concerted effort by Democratic leaders to build support for the Iran deal. The 162 Democrats in favor was comfortably above the 146 needed to sustain a presidential veto in the event that Republicans had managed to pass legislation rejecting the accord. In the Senate, Democrats also have a comfortable margin to sustain a veto.
House Republicans also approved a measure barring Mr. Obama from easing sanctions against Iran, which is a core component of the deal.
Under the agreement, which was negotiated by the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, Iran is to gain some relief from sanctions in exchange for greater international oversight, and new restrictions, on its nuclear program.
The bill, which bars the easing of sanctions until the day after Mr. Obama leaves office, was approved by a vote of 247 to 186, with just two Democrats joining 245 Republicans in favor. All 186 opposed were Democrats.
Republican aides and strategists said that they viewed their opposition to the Iran deal quite similarly to their opposition to Mr. Obama’s heath care overhaul. In the case of the Iran issue, they said there was even more reason to continue pressing the case given that some Democrats were also against the deal. On health care, by contrast, Democrats had been united behind the president.
Representative Peter Roskam, Republican of Illinois, a fierce critic of the accord, said that easing sanctions on Iran would allow it to increase its financing of terrorists.
“The bill itself gives $150 billion in sanctions relief to the Iranian government,” Mr. Roskam said. “Then the question is what do we expect from $150 billion. Is it all going to go to pave roads? Is it going to go build schools in Tehran? Is it going to fix water systems? I don’t think so.”
Speaking to reporters this week, Mr. Roskam said he was also leaving open the possibility of a lawsuit aimed at forcing the White House to provide the text of separate agreements between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Republicans, including Mr. Roskam, expressed confidence that the American public was on their side, and that Mr. Obama and Democrats would be held accountable for Iran’s conduct in the Middle East and beyond once the deal was put in place.
Democrats, meanwhile, said the Republicans were engaged in a futile exercise. Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat, snickered at the prospect of Republican lawsuits. “Maybe they decided to take a breather on suits on the Affordable Care Act to file some new lawsuits against this administration,” he said at the Capitol on Thursday. “They are sure keeping the lawyers busy.”
Mr. Obama, in a statement, said, “Today’s vote in the House of Representatives is the latest indication that the more members have studied the historic deal that will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, the more they have come out in support of it.”
Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, urged support for the Iran accord in a speech on the House floor, saying it offered the best chance of slowing Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon.
“If the deal is rejected by America, the Iranians could have a nuclear weapon within a year,” Ms. Pelosi said. “The choice is stark.”