Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) slammed President Obama on Thursday, suggesting he was trying to “shut down” congressional debate over the Iran nuclear deal.
“[The president] is trying to shut down debate by saying that those who have questions — legitimate questions, legitimate questions — are somehow unpatriotic, are somehow compared to hardliners in Iran,” the Foreign Relations Committee chairman said during a hearing. “And again it is to shut down debate. It is to make this about something other than the merits of the deal.”
Corker added that he was “disappointed” in Obama’s remarks, saying “we are being compared to the hardliners in Iran because we have concerns — concerns that we are trying to have answered.”
Corker, who spearheaded the legislation that will let lawmakers review and vote on the nuclear deal, has become increasingly skeptical of the deal since it was announced last month. Under the agreement, Iran accepts limits on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief that could help improve its economy.
The Tennessee Republican late Wednesday said that he is still undecided. He added that he will sit down with Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the committee’s ranking member, on Thursday to discuss the upcoming debate and vote in September.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), during a separate press conference on Thursday, also took a swipe at Obama, saying “what is not helpful is rhetoric like the president has been using as recently as this morning, comparing Republicans in Congress who have legitimate concerns over the Iran nuclear agreement to those in the streets of Tehran yelling ’death to America.’”
The Republican leader suggested the comparison is an example of “crass political rhetoric.”
McConnell took a first step toward setting up the Senate’s vote on Wednesday. Senators will return to Washington on Sept. 8 facing a tight deadline to pass legislation by Sept. 17.
Senators had a final briefing with administration officials on Wednesday evening, as part of Obama’s push to shore up support. The president will need at least 34 senators to support the agreement and uphold a potential veto.
The Hill, 6 August 2015
