US Senate Veto-proof Iran Sanctions Legislation?

While the P5+1 negotiation on a possible agreement to curtail Iran’s nuclear program is going on in Geneva, a virtually veto-proof new Iran Sanctions bill is gathering support in the US Senate, Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2013 (NWFIA). NWFIA had 26 bi-partisan co-sponsors when it was introduced on December 19, 2013. See our Iconoclast post, “All Praises due Sens. Kirk and Menendez on Nuclear Weapons Free Iran Act”.

A CNN report Iran sanctions bill moves toward veto-proof majority in Senate noted:

The bipartisan proposal introduced by Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, and Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, now has 59 senators who have formally committed to support it, a senior Senate aide tells CNN.

But the aide said that the current informal count is even higher – at 77 yes votes – and that more are expected to come on board once the undecided are forced to vote.
The bill could come to the Senate floor for consideration during the week of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on January 28 or the following week, the aide said.

The proposal would give Obama more than a year to engage in further diplomacy before any new sanctions would kick in against Iran’s oil exports and other key areas of its economy. Sanctions would hit sooner if Iran cheats on the interim deal or fails to reach a final accord.

The administration has threatened to veto the legislation if Congress were to approve it now, saying new sanctions would undermine the delicate efforts to forge a lasting deal with Iran.

The eminence grise in the US Senate working behind the scenes to empower passage of NWIFA is New York’s US Senator, Charles Schumer, the formidable head of the successful Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. Just prior to the year end holiday recess Schumer had gone on record saying that it was time to ratchet up new sanctions. The Hill in a report, “Schumer Leads Push Against Obama-on-Iran”, noted his leadership role:

The behind-the-scenes campaign has put the Senate’s Number 3 Democrat at sharp odds with the White House on one of President Obama’s top foreign policy priorities.

Schumer has long been a hawkish Israel supporter, but the push represents an unusually active challenge to the administration from someone who aspires to lead the Senate when Harry Reid (D-Nev.) retires.

“He’s an original cosponsor,” said Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who drafted the sanctions bill with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). “I would say he probably has the greatest sway inside his conference.”

A source close to the effort said Schumer is whipping members in support of the bill, which so far has been publicly endorsed by 59 members: 43 Republicans and 16 Democrats.

And William Daroff, the Jewish Federations of North America’s chief lobbyist, tweeted this week that a “VERY reliable source” had told him the bill has the support of 34 Democrats if it comes to a vote – more than enough to overcome the White House’s veto threat.

That marks a decided rebuke to the Obama Administration that has sought to further a diplomatic opening with the Islamic Regime in Tehran. Negotiations began in secret and led to public discussions at the UN General Assembly with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif under the auspices of President Hassan Rouhani in September 2013. Those private and public discussions between US and Iranian officials led to the P5+1 Geneva meetings with Secretary of State Kerry that produced the interim agreement announced on November 24, 2013.

However, the Joint Plan of Action released following the P5+1 announcement has yet to be implemented, despite representations of Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif that progress was being made in discussions towards a possible final agreement. Moreover, statements work on the Arak plutonium plant coupled with demands for rights to enrich uranium have raised doubts about the Islamic Regime’s compliance with any agreement. Flashpoints have recently emerged over Iran’s demand seeking to continue research into development of a new generation of centrifuges. Further, independent research by Washington, DC-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies has disclosed that the amount of sanctions relief afforded by the P5+1 interim agreement could exceed $20 billion. Add to this has been the evidence of significant illicit gold trading between the Turkish state-owned Halkbank and Iran facilitated by an Azeri Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab. This was revealed in corruption investigations circling Islamist Premier Erdogan. An announcement from Ankara today confirms the visit of Erdogan to Tehran to expand bi-lateral trade between the neighboring countries in energy and industrial products. The latter could include machinery produced by Turkey to be used by Iran in the development of the new generation of centrifuges.

Democratic National Committee Chairperson, Florida Us Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz according to The Washington Free Beacon (WFB) has been actively seeking to kill House consideration of new sanctions legislation. WFB in a report, “Debbie Wasserman -Schultz blocking Bipartisan Iran Sanctions”, noted:

The Iran resolution fell apart in the final days of 2013 after House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) withdrew his support for it following a last minute lobbying campaign helmed by Wasserman- Schultz, who sources identified as the “key Democrat” leading the anti-sanctions charge.

Wasserman- Schultz’s backroom bid to kill the sanctions measure has angered some Democrats on Capitol Hill and in her South Florida home district.

“Debbie has been busy at home telling her constituents she is doing all she can to stop Iran, but in reality it appears she is busy behind the scenes working to scuttle bipartisan action to put increased sanctions pressure on Iran,” said one Democrat on Capitol Hill who is closely tracking the Iran debate.

Prominent American Rabbi, Jack Moline, incoming head of the National Jewish Democratic Council, lashed out against American Jewish Congressional lobby group AIPAC and the American Jewish Committee for using “strong armed tactics” in support of NWFIA.

This weekend, the Emergency Committee for Israel will be airing an ad attacking DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman -Schultz on cable news Sunday Morning programs. Watch the Youtube video of the ECI ad:

Should NWIFA pass the Senate during the run up to President Obama’s State of the Union address that would mark a repudiation of his diplomatic outreach to Iran on its nuclear program. Should Iran take affront to this possible US Senate action and withdraw from the P5+1 negotiations, could it raise the prospect of possible unilateral military action by Israel? Stay tuned.

EDITORS NOTE: This column originally appeared on The New English Review.