More senators line up behind Iran nuclear deal
Two more Democratic senators, Chris Coons of Delaware and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, announced their support on Tuesday for the nuclear agreement that the Obama administration and other world powers have negotiated with Iran.
There are now a total of 33 senators who officially support the deal, making it increasingly unlikely Congress could successfully pass a resolution disapproving of the deal. Even if the Senate were to pass a resolution of disapproval, President Obama would sure veto it. The president's backers need just one more vote -- a total of 34 -- to prevent the Senate from overriding that veto.
In addition to the 33 senators who have formally announced their support for the Iran deal, there are two senators who are leaning toward supporting it but have yet to formally announce their position -- Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he supports the deal "because it puts us on a known path of limiting Iran's nuclear program for the next fifteen years with the full support of the international community. The alternative, to me, is a scenario of uncertainty and isolation."
Casey said in a statement that the deal "will substantially constrain the Iranian nuclear program for its duration, and compared with all realistic alternatives, it is the best option available to us at this time."