Lawmakers Say August Recess Key to Rallying Opposition to Iran Deal

Conservative Republicans in the House have left little doubt that as soon as Congress adjourns, they plan to call on their constituents to rally nationwide opposition to the proposed nuclear deal with Iran.

At the regular meeting of Conversations with Conservatives on Capitol Hill last week, lawmakers spelled out to Newsmax a strategy of first mobilizing opponents of the controversial agreement championed by President Barack Obama.

This would be followed, they explained, by reaching out to Democrats in Congress in an attempt to win the necessary two-thirds vote in the House and Senate to override any presidential veto of the expected congressional rejection of the measure.

"We are going to be back in our districts for 30 days [for August recess]," freshman Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., told Newsmax, "and the American people are going to have access to members of Congress and those members are going to be swayed by the strong opinions of the constituents."

Buck described the August break as "a critical time for Americans to stand up and oppose this treaty and let members know that. Having members home in August is going to help us to get to the number we need to override the veto."

Arizona GOP Rep. Paul Gosar agreed, telling Newsmax: "I challenge the American people to make this the issue of the August recess. You can do this, and we need your help."

By "do this," Gosar meant rallying the two-thirds majority in Congress required to override the promised presidential veto of a congressional rejection of the agreement.

That means 13 Democrats in the Senate and more than 40 Democrats in the House would need to be convinced to oppose the deal and break with their likely 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who has given her blessing to the Iran agreement.

As to how this can be achieved, Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., told us she feels "there will be a robust effort for those of us on both sides of the aisle and both sides of Capitol Hill to reach out to people who are undecided about the Iran deal to encourage them to oppose it.

"I think you'll see an unprecedented amount of person-to-person, member-to-member discussions and efforts to persuade each other as to just how ill-advised this is."

In offering a preview of what she and her Republican colleagues will do when Congress returns after the break, Lummis said there will be "an opportunity for members to approach members in the most sincerely objective and nonpartisan way to say, 'Please, let’s work together as members of the legislative branch and override this veto.'"

All the Republican lawmakers at the conclave who spoke to Newsmax agreed that rallying the public was pivotal to thwarting the Iran agreement. As Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., told us: "I think this will be the primary issue for the next month and it will be constant, and that’s when the American people are going to become engaged. That’s what is going to really make the difference."

Joely Friedman, a senior at Ohio State University, is a National Journalism summer intern at Newsmax’s Washington, D.C. bureau.