Supporters of Iran agreement feel momentum on Capitol Hill

Politics

Supporters of Iran agreement feel momentum on Capitol Hill

Supporters of the Iran nuclear deal see growing momentum on their side in the Senate, raising the possibility they’ll be able to block a disapproval resolution and protect President Obama from having to use his veto pen. Such an outcome — which looked all but inconceivable in the days after the deal’s July 14 signing — remains a long shot. It would be a major victory for Obama, who is staking his foreign policy legacy largely on the agreement struck by the U.S., Iran and five world powers to dismantle most of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions in sanctions relief.

While avoiding having to use his veto may remain a long shot for Obama, predictions that Republican opponents and the powerful pro-Israel lobby would use Congress’ August recess to make the deal politically toxic have not come to pass. Although polls register significant public concerns about the agreement, undeclared Democratic senators have increasingly broken in favor. The latest to do so were Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who announced his support over the weekend, Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. Congressional aides say they’ve rarely seen the White House work an issue so hard, with Obama making personal appeals to undecided lawmakers. It may just pay off.