House Democrats Render Senate Passed Iran Bill Meaningless By Having Obama’s Back

Republicans in Congress will get to voice their displeasure of any deal on Iran’s nuclear program, but House Democrats have enough votes to sustain a veto from President Obama if Republicans disapprove of the deal.

The Hill reported on a letter that House Democrats sent to the White House:

One hundred and fifty lawmakers, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), are urging the administration to “stay the course” and “exhaust every avenue” in its bid to craft a diplomatic deal to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

“If the United States were to abandon negotiations or cause their collapse, not only would we fail to peacefully prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, we would make that outcome more likely,” the Democrats wrote to Obama Thursday in a letter spearheaded by Reps. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.), Lloyd Doggett (Texas) and David Price (N.C.).

While the letter is addressed to the White House, the message sends a warning shot to GOP leaders that Democrats could likely sustain a presidential veto if the Republicans vote to disapprove a deal negotiated by the U.S., Iran, and five other nations.

What this means is that Republicans will get to have their say on the deal, but if they disapprove, President Obama will veto their resolution of disapproval, and House Democrats will have enough votes to sustain the president’s veto.

The American people are watching a political show that will satisfy a lot of egos, but have no impact on the eventual outcome. House Democrats are taking a stand for diplomacy and peace. Pelosi and company were also sending a not too subtle signal that they have President Obama’s back.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association