UPDATE: July 14, 2015, 8:14 AM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama heralded a historic nuclear agreement with Iran Tuesday as an opportunity for the longtime foes to move in a “new direction,” while sharply warning Congress that it would be irresponsible to block the accord.
“No deal means a greater chance of more war in the Middle East,” Obama said in early morning remarks from the White House.
Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, spoke shortly after negotiators in Vienna announced the landmark deal aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program for more than a decade in exchange for billions of dollars in international sanctions relief. The president said the agreement, hammered out through nearly two years of negotiations, would cut off all of Iran’s pathways to a bomb and give the international community unprecedented access to the country’s nuclear facilities.
“This deal is not built on trust,” Obama said. “It is built on verification.”
Even with the world powers in agreement, Obama now must sell the virtues of the deal to skeptical lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Congress has 60 days to assess the accord and decide whether to pursue legislation imposing new sanctions on Iran or prevent Obamafrom suspending existing ones.
The president renewed his vow to veto any such legislation and urged lawmakers to consider the repercussions of their actions. He painted a grim scenario in which the rest of the world struck its own nuclear deals with Iran, leaving the U.S. isolated. And without the limitations and verifications included in the deal announced Tuesday, Obama said he or a future U.S. president would be more likely to face a decision about using U.S. military action to prevent Iran from building a bomb.
The White House was expected to quickly launch a campaign to win support for the deal on Capitol Hill. The president was also expected to speak with several world leaders Tuesday.
Good. And truthfully based on what I understand of this deal, Congress really doesn’t get much of a say. As a multinational agreement between Iran, the European Community, The US, Russia and China it goes before the UN for ratification. So Congress can try and block it, but without the rest of the countries going along with Congress, reimposing sanctions won’t work because Europe, Russia and China won’t reimpose them along with us making them toothless.
Why do i have the feeling that this will end up being EVERY piece of legislation that clears both Houses?
Great apparition in the sky, I hope you’re right.
“Obama said he or a future U.S. president would be more likely to face a decision about using U.S. military action to prevent Iran from building a bomb.” Unfortunately, for the GOP, that’s like threatening my kid with staying up all night playing video games and eating candy.
I believe it was Truman who said that the secret of foreign relations was to walk softly and carry a big stick. I believe Obama has done a beautiful job of walking that tightrope between being accomodating yet strong. He kept pushing negotiations while standing fast on the sanctions and he kept working toward peace while bombing the @#$% out of ISIS when appropriate.
It’s like some of the most gentle people I know are very big guys who could break you in two in a second but they are aware that they can and don’t need to bully, strut, or prove their manhood. They only use their bulk when it’s needed.
As for the GOP: Given their inability to act as adults or act as though they are a team there will be the usual nonsense from the Obama haters, the hawks, and the simply stupid. The difference this time is that their tone-deafness will, I believe, be exposed quickly and loudly.
If they try to block this deal, that little pushback over their clandestine, midnight confederate flag thing will be looked back on as a pleasant little spat compared to what, I think, will be an historic uproar. I believe the American people are sick of the US being dragged into the quigmire that is the mid-east, and more and more that is beginning to include Isreal.
Bibi needs to back off. Now that he has irritated a whole lot of us with his unwelcome meddling in US business, every time he criticizes any Obama deal he is making more and more enemies.