US Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres
US Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres says he believes there would be “bipartisan opposition” to the renewed nuclear deal with Iran.
In a brief conversation with the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee broadcast Tuesday, the first-term representative said “a majority in both the House and the Senate” would oppose an agreement if brought to a vote.
Torres added that he is against the sanctions relief because the agreement under discussion would slow but not dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, noting that a deal between Washington and Tehran without bipartisan support would undermine the credibility of the United States.
“I worry about an endless cycle of a Democratic president renegotiating the Iran deal, followed by a Republican president who withdraws from it. We should have an agreement that can stand the test of time”, Torres said.
The original deal was rejected by the Congress in 2015 -- in the House by a 269-162 margin and in the Senate by a 56-42 majority — but it wasn’t enough to override a promised veto by former President Barack Obama.
Democrats are alarmed by reports that the Biden administration is considering removing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) from the State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organization list.
Fifteen Democratic House members are expected to speak out against the potential agreement later on Wednesday, raising “concerns about the looming Iran deal” in a news conference outside the Capitol.