WASHINGTON ― Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) announced on Monday that a majority of House members have pledged to support a resolution of disapproval of the nuclear deal with Iran. But with 218 members supposedly on board, the resolution is still 72 votes shy of the two-thirds majority that will ultimately be needed to override President Barack Obama’s veto.
For a veto-proof majority, the resolution of disapproval will need the support of all 28 remaining Republicans and 44 Democrats. But Roskam, who authored one of the resolutions currently circulating, is confident further support will come.
“Time is not the friend of this deal. The more time Members spend evaluating this agreement, the more they realize it’s an historic mistake,” he said in a statement on Monday. “We will do everything in our power to stop an accord that so utterly fails to shut down Iran’s nuclear program.”
Upon their return from summer recess in September, lawmakers are expected to vote on a resolution of disapproval of the nuclear accord recently negotiated between Iran, the U.S. and five other world powers. Republicans could pass the initial vote of disapproval along party lines, but the real battle will be rallying enough Democrats to override the inevitable presidential veto. If Congress overrides Obama’s veto, he will lose his ability to waive some sanctions against Iran, which would likely cause the agreement to collapse.
Since the announcement of the nuclear deal, which requires Iran to significantly downsize its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, Reps. Juan Vargas (Calif.) and Grace Meng (N.Y.) are the only House Democrats who have publicly indicated they will vote against the accord.
While a handful of influential Democrats have come out in support of the agreement, including leading Jewish members like Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sandy Levin (D-Mich.), most are holding their cards close.
“I’m going to try to ignore the politics. I’m going to try to ignore my own emotions,” Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), an undecided Jewish Democrat, told reporters last week.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel group that plans to pour over $20 million into opposing the Iran deal, is spending the month of August lobbying the remaining fence-sitting members to kill the agreement. This week, a group of House Democrats will depart on a trip to Israel organized by the American Israel Education Foundation, an affiliate of AIPAC.
“It’s very difficult, from the emotion, to be on the other side of … all the politicians of Israel and AIPAC,” said Nadler. “But if I conclude they’re wrong, I’ll vote the other way.”