Influential Senator Chuck Schumer to oppose Iran nuclear deal

Angus King of Maine, Tim Kaine of Virginia, and New York Democratic Sen. That includes Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Relations Committee, who expressed his opposition Thursday night. Engel’s announcement made him the second major Jewish Democratic figure from New York City to announce their opposition to Obama’s accord.

Some pro-Israel groups have been spending millions of dollars on an advertising campaign to push members of Congress to vote no.

Obama has engaged in his own lobbying effort, saying in a speech on Wednesday that abandoning the deal would open up the prospect of war. So it’s unacceptable to me that after a maximum of five and eight years, respectively, the deal lifts these restrictions.

Schumer’s opposition was expected, and it wasn’t clear whether he would lobby other senators to vote to disapprove the deal when Congress returns in September.

“Advocates on both sides have strong cases for their point of view that can not simply be dismissed”, Schumer, the number three Democrat in the Senate, said in a statement.

At six meetings in recent weeks, Ms. Pelosi has assembled an informal team of Democrats determined to win over the 146 House Democrats needed to uphold a veto. So, while Thursday’s announcements are a blow to the president, opponents of the deal still face an uphill battle to enact a disapproval resolution. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer announced on August 7 that he would not support the deal, and the once nearly certain position as taking over as Senate leader could be in jeopardy.

Senator Schumer, who’s in line to become his party’s next leader, may be more consequential than any of the Senate Democrats who are still undecided over whether to back the deal.

Schumer says among his reservations about the deal is that it does not allow for inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities at any time.

“To me, the very real risk that Iran will not moderate and will, instead, use the agreement to pursue its nefarious goals is too great”, he said in a statement published on Medium. “The truth of the matter is, inside of Iran, the people most opposed to the deal are the Revolutionary Guard, the Quds force, hard-liners who are implacably opposed to any cooperation with the global community”, Obama said in an interview that will air on “Fareed Zakaria GPS” on Sunday.

Schumer would also vote to override the President’s veto on Iran deal, an aide told CNN on Friday morning, meaning he is prepared to vote “no” twice against the President.

I wish I could agree with Rick, but I see this as a sign that the White House gave permission to Schumer to protect himself with his constituents because they know that a presidential veto will not be overridden.

New York’s junior senator, Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, said she will support Obama’s deal with Iran.