Bob Menendez, Democrat, Opposes Nuke Deal With Iran

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell touts himself as a free trade advocate, but he’s warning that how tobacco is treated in a potential Pacific Rim trade said-obama-used-something-that-immediately-turned-heads/” class=”local_link” target=”_blank”>deal could influence his stance on an agreement.

The Democrat said in a speech in his home state that he opposes the deal, which would curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.

But more than 20 Democratic senators have expressed support for the agreement, with Sens.

The Senate plans to take that vote in early September, Corker said.

This is one of the most significant national security nuclear nonproliferation agreements we have had in some time. Instead, he said, it would establish a policy of “managing” nuclear proliferation. He no longer is the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations committee, so his opposition is less meaningful than it once was.

President Obama has “a great likelihood of success” regarding the Iran nuclear deal, reported the Huffington Post.

Menendez noted that unlike the administration’s chief backers of the deal, Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden, he voted against the war in Iraq, which was an unpopular position at the time.

Speaking at Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and worldwide Relations, Menendez offered ideas to amend the deal. However, Obama has vowed to veto a Congressional resolution of disapproval. He pointed out that throughout Obama’s term in office he has mainly backed the Democratic president, voting for Wall Street and healthcare reforms and other major initiatives. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who had been heavily courted by the administration and was seen as a possible supporter, said over the weekend he would oppose the deal.

“Tehran would be the victor of this U.S. rejection because it would achieve its major objective: the lifting of most sanctions without being required to accept constraints on its nuclear program”, Lugar wrote in an opinion piece co-authored with former Louisiana Sen.

Donnelly says he still has questions about Iran’s intentions in the nuclear agreement and cites a lack of action to cut off Iranian support for terrorism.

“If, within Iran, a freer and more liberal society can emerge from the grip of the ayatollahs, and if strong worldwide pressure can be brought to bear to contain Iran’s continuing mischief in the surrounding Middle East, there is at least the prospect of this becoming an historic turning point”, he said.

But Nathan Diament, executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, said there is much “energy and mobilization” behind the rally and a subsequent lobbying effort of undecided members of Congress that is being coordinated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.