Rubio: I don't want Iran bill to fail
WASHINGTON — Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., defended himself Friday against criticism that his attempt to amend legislation giving Congress a say in any final Iran nuclear deal could derail the underlying bipartisan bill.
"I don't want the bill to go down," Rubio said Friday at a forum hosted by National Review. "It's not perfect. It's better than nothing."
Rubio, who is running for president, and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., are pushing for amendments that would likely derail the legislation's chances of becoming law.
The intraparty GOP dispute forced Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to delay further action on the legislation until next week.
The bill's lead sponsor, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said his colleagues' moves might force party leaders to cut off debate on amendments altogether and just vote on the underlying measure. He had been working with the panel's top Democrat, Sen. Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, to allow for input from the rank and file.
The legislation, approved unanimously by the Foreign Relations Committee in April, would give lawmakers 30 days to approve, reject or take no action on a final Iran deal. During that period, President Obama would not be allowed to waive sanctions on Iran mandated by Congress. The White House had objected to efforts to give Congress the right to approve a deal but ultimately endorsed the compromise crafted by Corker and Cardin.
Cotton's amendment would set terms around inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities. Rubio's amendment would make a final nuclear deal contingent on Iran formally recognizing Israel's right to exist.
The administration would veto the bill if it includes either provision. The U.S. and five other nations, China, France, Russia, Britain and Germany are engaged in ongoing talks with Iran aimed at yielding a final deal this summer.
Rubio acknowledged Friday that many Middle Eastern countries do not recognize Israel. "But none of them are trying to build a nuclear weapon, and none of them have billions of dollars of sanctions, which if we lift those sanctions, we are turning over billions of dollars to the Iranian regime," he said.
"And what will they use those billions of dollars for? To build hospitals? To build schools for children? No. They will use it to sponsor terrorism, groups like Hezbollah, and what is the purpose of Hezbollah? To destroy Israel."
A freshman, Cotton took an early, pugnacious stance against the administration's Iran efforts. He was the lead signer of a controversial letter sent in March to Iran's leaders warning them that any deal reached by Obama could be overturned by future presidents.
On the floor Thursday, Cotton showed no sympathy for the argument that the amendments could derail the legislation. "I would say these are not poison pills. These are vitamin pills," he said.
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