Posted on 09/10/2015 1:55:23 PM PDT by markomalley
The White House insisted on Thursday that Congress has just one week to thwart the agreement between Iran and six world powers to curb its nuclear program under the timetable Congress established for reviewing the deal, despite new GOP arguments that the 60-day clock it has for reviewing the deal should never have started.
If Republican lawmakers are unable to secure a veto-proof majority rejecting the deal by then, the "international community" will begin implementing the accord, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Thursday.
"[T]hey essentially had 60 days to play the spoiler," Earnest said about Republicans who want to jettison the deal that China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia and the United States negotiated with Iran to stunt Tehran's nuclear weapons program.
Under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act passed in May, Congress had 60 days to weigh the contract and its annexes. But now that enough Senate Democrats support implementing the treaty to prevent Republicans from blocking it, House Republicans are considering suing the Obama administration to prevent the agreement from taking effect.
"[I]t's not a coincidence, that — what we've taken to the calling the 'Tortilla Coast' gambit — is something that emerged just hours after it became clear that this resolution of disapproval would not move through the United States Senate," Earnest said. He was picking up on his colleague Eric Schultz's description Wednesday that GOP lawmakers "hatched" the idea of a lawsuit over drinks at a well-known restaurant near the House office buildings.
"Now the House, again because of this plan, this gambit, has decided to abandon that approach and to consider three other pieces of legislation that the Senate has made pretty clear they're not going to consider," Earnest said about Speaker John Boehner's decision to first have his colleagues vote on a sure-to-fail resolution approving of the nuclear deal.
"[T]his obviously is not the first time we've seen Republicans who are unsuccessful in trying to prevent the president from doing something using their official duties as a member of Congress resort in desperation to a piece of litigation," Earnest said about the proposed lawsuit.
Earnest stressed that although the United Nations can begin following through with the agreement on Sept. 17, Tehran does not get relief from punishing economic sanctions until it lives up to its obligations.
"That means reducing their nuclear stockpile … rendering harmless their plutonium reactor at Arak; it means essentially disconnecting thousands of centrifuges; it means cooperating with the IAEA," Earnest said referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency. "It's only after those steps have been taken and verified that the international community will move forward with offering sanctions relief to Iran."
Republicans would base their lawsuit on the grounds that they have not been given copies of the agreement documenting what the IAEA and Tehran worked out for exactly how inspections and verification of Iran's compliance will be carried out.
"If there's any member of Congress that says, 'well I would like to know what is in that agreement,' they can contact the administration and in an appropriate, classified setting can be briefed on the contents of that agreement," Earnest said about the ancillary documents. "There's no mystery to, at least to members of Congress with a security clearance, as to what's included in that agreement," he said.
Oh they will make that mistake. No matter what. Isn’t that what they have screamed for several years now? And they will do it solely to not have admit they are responsible and thus, were wrong.
Most of them, or all of them will.
They keep funding the murder of babies, stood silent for a woman jailed by the homo mafia judge and just armed Iran with atomic weapons.
What more could the GOP do to make them turn if they have not yet?
BTW I see no announcement from Levin that this reached his final inch threshold either. And people wonder why I call these ‘people’ conservative frauds.
When the Israeli’s say “Never Again!,” they mean it.
Because they ARE conservative frauds, as you well know.
Boehner, if he is serious, needs to sue in Federal Court tomorrow morning to prohibit Odumbo from removing sanctions, based on this resolution passed in the House. Otherwise, it is all just Kabuki theater by the Uniparty...and it WON’T fool us.
You know that. I know that. A bare handful of the right knows that.
Yay us.
Its not a matter of fooling anyone. People will run right back out and reelect him or someone just as evil ‘no matter what’. See last 2 elections for proof. They said so time and time again.
Like they care.
Indeed. One only need to watch them duck responsibility for their actions daily.
These Republican traitors to the United States could have made life miserable for Obama for many years. They sold their soul to the crony corporatists, and sold out America (and now Israel too) for money.
Well if Iran returns the favor to them, I won’t be lifting a finger to protect them. Any real American should turn their backs on these traitors. In and out of DC alike. Let the libs they support employ, house and feed them for the rest of their lives.
You & I seem to be on the same page today, CA Guy.
Since 0bama has been ‘’re-elected’’, I wish everyone would look at the damage that’s been done- the very damage they’re apoplectic over now. Newt Gingrich would have had a wall-eyed fit before he let these things happen. Mitt sure as hell wouldn’t be giving nukes to Iran (though he would have surely caved on same sex marriage).
We can thank the insistence on Santorum- who didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in the 2012 general election, any more than Cruz does now. And we’ll get Jeb if they keep it up (which they will). And he’ll lose to whatever freakin commie the left decides on.
‘’Evangelicals’’ make up just over 25% of the US population. That’s enough to cost us an election, but nowhere near enough to get their candidate elected unless everybody else sits it out.
Jews make up 2.2% of the US population.
Blaming 0bama on ‘’the Jewish vote’’ is pure crap. They aren’t even all lefties.
Sorry if that ticks some people off, but it’s the truth.
The ‘truth’ is looking at a guy that profits from BBQing dead aborted babies as some kind of better option means you just want your evil in a different suit.
” Any real American should turn their backs on these traitors. In and out of DC alike”
Amen, brother.
If you’re a bank, do you risk that President Cruz or Trump will not find you violated the Corker law just because 0bama said so?
For all the good it did, so did I.
Pardon? WHO’s BBQing dead aborted babies? Holy cow!
Mir Romney. Thats what his company Stericycle does.
Announce to Banks that President Cruz will prosecute any bank and banker who violates the Corker law requiring 0bama to submit all side deals to Congress for approval before releasing any of the $100,000,000,000 for terrorists.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.