Democrats will filibuster Iran nuclear agreement: Reid
US Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has confirmed that Democrats will try to mount a filibuster to prevent a bill against the Iran nuclear agreement from reaching President Barack Obama’s desk for a veto.
“I recently informed Senator McConnell that after a period of robust debate, Democrats would be happy to proceed straight to a final passage vote that is consistent with Senator McConnell’s many statements that important matters in the Senate have ‘for quite some time required 60 votes.’ The choice is up to him,” Reid said on Saturday, referring to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The Republican-dominated Congress is reviewing the nuclear agreement and has until September 17 to vote to either approve or disapprove of it.
The debate on the measure called the "Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015" is scheduled to begin in Congress on Tuesday, when lawmakers return from summer vacation.
Democrats have enough votes to sustain the veto Obama has promised. So far 38 senators - 36 Democrats and two liberal-leaning independents - have announced to vote in favor of the nuclear agreement in Congress.
Democrats need 41 votes in the Senate to mount a filibuster, which is a tactic that involves legislators obstructing the passage of a bill by speaking at inordinate length when the measure is debated.
A Democratic filibuster in the Senate would be a clear victory for Obama to nip the process in the bud and prevent a chance for the lobbying to kick into high gear.
Assistant Minority Leader (whip) Dick Durbin, who has been involved in the process to get the remaining votes to guarantee a filibuster, said, “Those who are students of the process know that the president has the last word. I’d like to win it earlier.”
Senator Chris Murphy, who is working with Durbin, said, “There’s a cost to the international credibility of the country and this president if a motion of disapproval passes the House and the Senate.”
“There is some harm to the country’s standing if we have to go through the charade of the veto,” he added.
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