Dems put brakes on measure to levy new sanctions on Iran

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Senate Democrats on Tuesday put the brakes on new Iran sanctions legislation, ending for now a looming showdown between Congress and President Barack Obama over negotiations to prevent Tehran from having the capability to make a nuclear weapon.

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., a leading proponent of the legislation, says he remains skeptical a deal will materialize, but says he and nine other Democrats now won’t push the bill at least until the end of March.

Menendez’s concession to the White House is good news for Obama, who has threatened to veto any new sanctions legislation. At the same time, supporters of the bill say the letter signals the White House that Menendez and his Democratic colleagues do support the legislation and are willing to vote for new sanctions if Iran doesn’t reach an agreement with the U.S. and its international partners.

Republicans could still move ahead on the bill, but without Democratic support, Congress would not have the votes needed to override an Obama veto.

The White House, British Prime Minister David Cameron and other international leaders have been lobbying U.S. lawmakers hard, arguing that if new sanctions legislation were passed, Iran could walk away from the talks and say the U.S. was negotiating in bad faith.