Lobbying Congress on Iran Deal Consumes Washington’s Summer
The August recess hasn’t even started for the U.S. Senate yet the fight over the Iran nuclear deal is hitting a furious pace as President Barack Obama and his critics each try to show they have the upper hand.
On Monday, 22 House Democrats -- most of them freshmen -- are leaving for Israel on a trip that will include a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has denounced the deal as a threat to Israel’s security.
Next week, 36 Republicans -- also mostly freshmen -- plan to meet with Netanyahu during a similar trip paid for by the same nonprofit offshoot of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which is lobbying against the deal.
Representative Peter Roskam, an Illinois Republican, said Monday that there are enough votes to pass a House resolution disapproving the Iran nuclear pact. Still, the tally of 217 Republican co-sponsors he announced -- plus a non-voting delegate from American Samoa -- is far short of the number needed to override a presidential veto.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest reiterated Monday, “We’ve got enough support in the House of Representatives” to sustain a veto of a resolution disapproving the deal.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-08-03/lobbying-u-s-congress-on-iran-deal-consumes-washington-s-summer
