The US Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation Thursday giving Congress the right to review any nuclear deal with Iran.
The US Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation Thursday giving Congress the right to review and perhaps even reject any nuclear deal with Iran.
The bill passed 98-1 after overcoming initial objections from President Barack Obama. It comes amid intense negotiations between world powers and Iran on a deal over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
"We worked hard to create a great bipartisan balance," said the measure's chief author, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker.
Republican Tom Cotton was the lone member voting in opposition to legislation that would give lawmakers at least 30 days to review any final Iran accord.
bill now heads to the House of Representatives, where it has the support of the chamber's Republican leaders.
According to White House spokesman Eric Schultz, Obama "said he would sign the legislation in its current form."
Lawmakers would have the ability to support or oppose the nuclear pact by voting for or against lifting congressionally imposed sanctions on Iran.
Should Congress pass a resolution opposing the accord, Obama would have 12 days to veto it. If he does, Congress would have 10 more days to override the veto.
Iran and the P5+1 group of countries – the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China, and Germany - reached a mutual understanding on Tehran’s nuclear program in the Swiss city of Lausanne on April 2.
Tehran and the six-party group have agreed to finalize a comprehensive deal by the end of June.