Posted on 09/09/2015 6:29:53 PM PDT by Dave346
WASHINGTON -- House Republicans have agreed on a new strategy to stop the clock on Congress' review period for the Iran nuclear deal.
Instead of proceeding with a resolution disapproving of the deal certain to pass the House but facing procedural hurdles in the Senate the GOP will now try to prevent implementation of the deal on legal grounds.
On Friday, September 11, the caucus will express a 'sense of the House' resolution asserting that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action the formal name for the agreement was not fully submitted to Congress by the Obama administration back in July. If accurate, this would stop the clock, as Congress' review period only begins once all documents related to the deal have been submitted.
"The House is going to make it very clear that without the [International Atomic Energy Agency] disclosures, the clock hasn't started," Rep. Peter Roskam, Republican from Illinois, told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday evening, referring to agreements tangential to the JCPOA between the UN nuclear watchdog agency and Tehran.
Speaker of the House John Boehner, Republican of Ohio, has agreed to the plan, Roskam said.
With this new strategy, Roksam said, "the president is denied the ability to say that he's fully complied under the law."
"The House has no interest in being a midwife to a disastrous Obama foreign policy," Roskam continued. "This becomes easier for the next American president to build on a clear repudiation by the Congress."
A bill passed by Congress last spring and signed by US President Barack Obama, the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, allows the legislature to review the deal over a sixty day period.
But for that clock to begin, documents submitted to the Congress must include "any joint comprehensive plan of action entered into or made between Iran and any other parties, and any additional materials related thereto, including annexes, appendices, codicils, side agreements, implementing materials, documents, and guidance, technical or other understandings, and any related agreements."
The new Republican strategy is based on this provision, claiming that confidential agreements made between the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran on which implementation of the JCPOA relies constitute "side agreements" between "Iran and any other parties."
The White House has been wary to describe the IAEA's agreements with Tehran as "side deals," and has noted that, like all documents between the UN organization and its member states, their communications remain confidential. The Obama administration itself does not have access to the documents, US Secretary of State John Kerry says although it has been briefed on their contents, which have in turn been shared by the administration with Congress.
These agreements detail a "road-map" agreed upon by the UN nuclear watchdog and Iran to resolve a longstanding investigation into Tehran's past nuclear work, which the IAEA suspects had military dimensions. One such document, leaked to the Associated Press last month, suggested Iran would have a prominent role in collecting materials for the IAEA to then study off-site. Critics of the document interpreted the procedure as the IAEA allowing Iran to self-inspect itself.
A delay of the vote was first proposed by Roskam, and now has wide support amongst his caucus. At a rally featuring presidential contender Donald Trump, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and media personality Glenn Beck, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, also running for the GOP nomination in 2016, said the Obama administration had not complied with the Iran review act and that his proceeding with the deal would be a violation of the law.
In an emergency caucus meeting at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, Roskam and Rep. Mike Pompeo, Republican from Kansas, proposed a measure asserting the administration has yet to fully comply with the review act. They are also proposing a new bill that would attempt to prevent Obama from lifting sanctions on Iran through executive order.
The Iran review act does not allow the president to proceed with implementation of the deal, including the relieving of sanctions, until the end of Congress' review period.
Thirdly, they propose a resolution of approval of the JCPOA that would force Democrats on record in favor of the agreement, as opposed to a planned vote of disapproval, which would allow Democrats to rebuff a rejection of the agreement.
Their path forward with this strategy is unclear: The author of the review act, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), wants to proceed with a vote of disapproval by September 17, when Democrats believe Congress' review period expires.
"What is difficult to understand is what the next course of action is if you take that position and dont register bipartisan opposition today," Corker said.
Debate on the deal began on Wednesday in the Senate just as Congress returned from its summer recess. All senators are now publicly on record in favor or against the landmark nuclear agreement, which is intended to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear arms.
But over the course of weeks of debate in the public sphere, 42 senators two independents, and 40 Democrats announced their support for the agreement. Meanwhile, four of their Democratic colleagues joined a united Republican caucus opposed.
That means a vote of disapproval in the Senate is uncertain, should 41 of those in favor choose to support a filibuster of debate and prevent a vote.
"As I understand the law," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican from Kentucky, said later in the day, "we have to act before September 17, which is next week, or the deal does forward."
Roskam said it is difficult to speculate how the Senate will react to the new House plan. "The Senate is either going to take up Corker-Cardin, or they're not," he said, referring to the authors of the review act, Corker and Democratic senator Ben Cardin of Maryland.
Asked how the White House might retrieve the IAEA documents, or how the battle might unfold, Roskam added: "A lawsuit is obviously a possibility, particularly in light of today's ruling for standing in Congress in the Obamacare case."
About freaking time these jerks grew a pair! The Crybaby must really be worried about his job.
Oh, and when the house says that Obama didn’t submit the information on time, the Turtle of the Senate should then submit the document as a TREATY to the whole Senate...if there’s room for any balls under that shell of his.
Let it go down in flames. THAT is what we elected you idiots for, to stop Obama!
"In order to save his job, ... Speaker of the House John Boehner, Republican of Ohio, has agreed to the plan, Roskam said."
It was Cruz’ event and Donald was there at Ted’s invite.
Trump is the one getting everyone to talk about the Iran deal. the media would be hiding it if it were not for Trump.
Trump was the one who got everyone talking about illegal immigration.
The language is CLEAR!! and that sorry bastard obama SIGNED IT!! CRUSH THIS DEAL!!
Trump is the one getting everyone to talk about the Iran deal. the media would be hiding it if it were not for Trump.
Trump was the one who got everyone talking about illegal immigration.
You brought up Cruz (whY?) . Cruz voted for the Corker bill.
Bttt
It was Cruz event and Donald was there at Teds invite.
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True dat. But don’t confuse the folks with actual facts; it upsets their narrative.
Don’t get your panties in a bunch because Cruz stole the show today at the Iran rally while Trump just repeats cliched platitudes like someone with Turret’s syndrome on a reality show. Cruz has substance and a record of conservatism...Trump is riding name recognition and celebrity to this primary...good for him, he is failing to prove he has a core worthy of wrapping up nomination with the base. Seems to me all those Rand Paul votes saw the writing on the wall and his imploding campaign, jumped ship for Trump and glommed onto the saccharine candidate who could dupe them with campaign slogans backed up with dead air. good luck with that
Trump is at 37% . your career politicians are all below 10% LOL
You liberal commie all you have is insults
OK, that's two "FR dumba$$" achievements in one post! You didn't check with a simple Google search, nor did you read the whole thread before posting a caustic retort. See tag line.
THANK YOU MR. TRUMP.
Yea, I know, we still have a problem with him because he wants to make Hedge Fund managers that make $100M plus in salary pay the same marginal income tax rates as employees that make $200k, so I will stick with Jeb (or, at least that’s what people here seem to demand I do).
I don’t trust any of them.....only time will tell...and there’s very little left.
Thank you...I thought Cruz had submitted something of that nature....he’s been fighting this mess for awhile...
I’m talking about the timing of this House action on 9/11/15 right after Trump brings the media attention to the Iran deal . what are you 12? .No one cares what you say least of all me. Go post to someone else.
Was just listening to Mark Levin a few minutes ago who said that McConnell has just put in the procedure tonight to stop debate on this deal and ram it through the senate!
McConnell is a cancer that needs to be removed Reid style.
Typical. The politicians will do anything to advance the Obama agenda including the Iran deal
But hey we've been down this road before here....it's like dust covers the threads so vision can only see a few feet ahead .......until it clears out...
But in the House:
The Committee on Rules will meet tonight, Wednesday, September 9, 2015 at 7:35 PM in H-313 The Capitol on the following emergency measures:
H. Res. 411Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.
H.R. 3460To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran.
H.R. 3461To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran.
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