The Obama administration is working intensely to dissuade Democratic senators from aligning with the Republican majority on bipartisan legislation that would allow Congress to review any nuclear deal with Iran,
Politico reported.
President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew have all personally lobbied senators in a concerted effort to block veto-proof legislation on Iran, according to Politico.
There are 54 Republicans likely to support the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 and 11 Democrats indicating they might sign on. It would take 67 senators to override any presidential veto.
Nuclear talks between the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany have been going on since 2006, with Washington taking the lead. An interim agreement signed in 2013 was intended to partially freeze Iran's quest for nuclear weapons.
The White House message to Congress is to take no action until the negotiations are completed. The bargaining now taking place in Switzerland between Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is aimed at completing an outline of a deal by March 31, with details to be ironed out by July 1.
"Let us complete the negotiations before the Congress acts on legislation," the White House chief of staff, Denis McDonough, wrote in a letter to senators. "If we successfully negotiate a framework by the end of this month, and a final deal by the end of June, we expect a robust debate in Congress."
The Iran review legislation was drafted by Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, the ranking member of the committee. Under the bill, the president would not be able to suspend sanctions on Iran for 60 days so that Congress can review the details of any deal.
Among the Democratic senators being lobbied directly by Obama is Maryland's Ben Cardin, who said he wanted to "give the president every opportunity" to succeed with the negotiations. But, Cardin added, "I do think we have certain responsibilities in Congress," Politico reported.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire said, "I want to see if we get an agreement, what might be in that kind of agreement and then make a decision at that point."
Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said he hoped that Democrats would "unite behind the president."
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid made clear he is not part of Obama administration's lobbying to discourage senators from signing on to the Corker-Menendez bill, Politico reported.
"Iran is at the table now because of sanctions that Congress has firmly pressed," Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said. "The principle of congressional review and the Senate's role is an important principle that should be established from the outset."
Corker has said that he thought it was likely the committee would vote on the Iran bill as early as Tuesday. He said the White House has used "every tactic available to try to keep Congress from playing its rightful role on Iran," Politico reported.
Floor debate on the Corker-Menendez bill could be scheduled for mid-April after the Senate reconvenes from its Easter recess, according to Politico.