https://www.youtube.com/embed/eE6HLbaAL0A
Cruz, Toomey file amendment to give Congress more power over Obama’s Iran deal
April 24, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania, have filed an amendment (#1152) to the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, which would require affirmative Congressional approval of any Iranian nuclear deal before sanctions relief can occur.
"The Constitution makes clear that Congress must approve international agreements like the one President Obama is negotiating with Iran," said Sen. Cruz. "A nuclear Iran is the single greatest threat to our national security and also poses an unacceptably high risk to Israel. Reviewing this deal and deciding whether or not to consent to it may well be the most important function of this Congress. It is not something that should be rushed, and it is imperative that, at the very least, the President obtain majority support for his deal from both Houses of Congress before moving forward."
As currently written, the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 would first require Congress to pass a resolution of disapproval and then require Congress to muster votes from two-thirds of each chamber to override a Presidential veto. What's more, if Congress failed to act within a set timeframe, the deal would go into effect by default. This process gets the Constitution's allocation of authority precisely backwards.
The Cruz-Toomey amendment would remove these options and restore a more proper process for Congress to exercise its Constitutional power. It would require President Obama to persuade a majority of Senators and Representatives to approve his deal before it goes into effect.
Full text of the amendment can be viewed here.
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Ted Cruz: Why I voted YES for Corker Iran bill
May 7, 2015 - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, released the following statement regarding votes on the Iran Nuclear Review Act:
“This bill was a missed opportunity. If Congress had acted to defend our constitutional authority – if Congress had adopted the Cruz-Toomey amendment – then we would be able to stop a bad Iran deal. Instead, the odds are now overwhelming that under these ground rules President Obama will negotiate, and Congress will acquiesce to, a terrible deal that allows Iran to acquire nuclear weapons and will endanger the lives of millions of Americans and our allies.
“I voted no on cloture because we should have insisted on amendments to put real teeth in this bill. Ultimately, I voted yes on final passage because it may delay, slightly, President Obama’s ability to lift the Iran sanctions and it ensures we will have a Congressional debate on the merits of the Iran deal. I will continue to lead the fight to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to protect the national security of America and our allies.”
Still lunacy.
But Cruz is still my man. Even Reagan made some mistakes that he regretted.
Unacceptable.
His name, and the name of every other Republican except Tom Cotton, are now on a bill that could very well lead to nuclear war started by Islam.
There is no damn excuse for this.
Sorry, but this is pretty lame. It “delays slightly”? In the process it gives Zero what he needs with 1/3 fewer votes??