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Obama hails Democratic filibuster on Iran accord

Thursday, 10 September 2015 11:35 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 10 September 2015 11:40 PM ]

US President Barack Obama

US President Barack Obama has hailed Senate Democrats for blocking a resolution disapproving of the Iran nuclear agreement, a signature foreign policy achievement for his administration.

Democrats on Thursday blocked a Republican resolution to reject the deal, ensuring that the historic agreement can be implemented without Obama having to use his veto power.

Senators voted 58-42 to bring to the floor a resolution disapproving the deal. That was two votes short of the 60 votes Republican leaders needed to advance the bill.

After the vote, Obama said in a statement, “This vote is a victory for diplomacy, for American national security, and for the safety and security of the world.”

“I am heartened that so many senators judged this deal on the merits, and am gratified by the strong support of lawmakers and citizens alike,” Obama said.

“Going forward, we will turn to the critical work of implementing and verifying this deal… while pursuing a foreign policy that leaves our country — and the world — a safer place,” he added.

Republican senators, who only a few months earlier vowed to muster 67 votes to override a presidential veto, fell two votes short needed to break a Democratic filibuster, which is a tactic that involves legislators obstructing the passage of a bill by speaking at inordinate length when the measure is debated.

This means the legislation aimed at sabotaging the historic agreement is essentially dead, and that the deal will now take effect without a veto showdown between the Republican-controlled Congress and the Obama administration.

The Obama administration has gained this resounding victory over its opponents, despite the Israel lobby’s massive campaign to defeat the historic nuclear agreement, reached between Iran and the P5+1 -- the US, Britain, Russia, China, France, and Germany -- in Vienna in mid-July.

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