U.S. Sen. Bob Corker says he’s reached an important milestone for his proposal to handle Iran and its nuclear program: Enough senators have signed on that not even President Barack Obama can block it.
The Tennessee Republican has not opposed Obama’s efforts to strike a deal with Iran. But as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has pushed for Congress to have a role in negotiations.
Obama has threatened to veto any meddling from Congress, but now Corker says he has 67 co-sponsors — the magic number needed to ensure that veto wouldn’t stick in the Senate. Backers range from long-time Republican allies like fellow Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander to Democrats, such as Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
Corker’s plan would give Congress the power to nix any agreement between the Obama administration and Iran to halt the regime’s development of nuclear weapons. If Congress were to reject the agreement, Obama wouldn’t be able to lift economic sanctions, the carrot his administration needs to get Iran to uphold its end of the bargain.
That idea was one reason Time magazine recently named Corker one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Getting his plan passed would cement that reputation.
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