Sen. Menendez to Vote Against Obama’s Iran Deal
But it might not be enough.
As expected after months of skepticism, Democrat Senator Robert Menendez opposed Barack Obama on the Iran deal, announcing that he would vote against the deal’s approval when the Senate considers it in September. In a Tuesday speech before the Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Menendez said his greatest concern over the deal is that it does not dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, only freezing it for 10 years. “We have now abandoned our long-held policy of preventing nuclear proliferation and are now embarked — not on preventing nuclear proliferation — but on managing or containing it — which leaves us with a far less desirable, less secure, and less certain world order,” he said. Menendez joins fellow Democrat Chuck Schumer — the suspected heir to Democrat leadership in the Senate — in undermining Obama’s diplomacy. Both men may face political fallout for their stances. Schumer’s potential leadership position is threatened, and the DOJ accused Menendez of corruption. But to be clear, the opposition of these two men may encourage more Democrats to reject the deal with Iran. But it might not be enough. Despite a majority’s opposition to the deal, the way the deal is structured may allow it to squeak through the Senate by a hair.