Senate rejects amendment to Iran bill, not considering Iran deal treaty
Iran Press TV
Wed Apr 29, 2015 12:42PM
The US Senate has voted against an amendment to a bill requiring a possible nuclear agreement with Iran to be reviewed by Congress.
The amendment, introduced by Republican Senator Ron Johnson, wanted a final Iran deal to be submitted to the Senate as a treaty.
The Senate voted 57-39 to reject the measure.
Sen. Johnson said Iran nuclear agreement "is so important to the security of this nation and world peace, that it rises to the level of a treaty."
Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is the author of the bill, the Iran Nuclear Review Act, which would allow Congress to review any final deal.
Among Republican senators, who supported Johnson's amendment, were Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and presidential hopeful Senator Rand Paul.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid warned Republicans not to use the bill as a 'platform for their political ambitions.'
"A number of my Republican colleagues, who are vying to be the Republican nominee for president, have stated publicly the changes they'd like to make to this bill," Reid said.
"I am concerned that they and others want to use this good, bipartisan bill as a platform for their political ambitions. This bill is too important to be a pawn in anyone's political games," he added.
Iran and the P5+1 group of countries -- the US, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany -- reached a framework agreement on Tehran's nuclear program on April 2 in Switzerland. The two sides are working to finalize a deal by the end of June.
If a final deal is reached, it would lift all international sanctions imposed against the Islamic Republic in exchange for certain steps Tehran will take with regard to its nuclear program.
SB/AGB
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
