Senate bill splits Iran deal advocates
Nuclear deal skeptics seek to put the screws on Tehran without blowing up the agreement.
Senate Democrats on Oct. 1 released Iran legislation that seeks to increase the pressure on Tehran without blowing up the nuclear agreement.
Nine deal skeptics — including two who voted against the deal — unveiled a bill that encourages penalties for violations of the July 14 agreement and other Iranian troublemaking while boosting support for Israel. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"The JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] will be implemented and we must now focus on how best to make this agreement succeed by strengthening US policy toward Iran and bolstering our strategic plan for a very volatile Middle East region," Cardin said in a statement.
In a sign of the tightrope Democrats are having to walk, the measure caused a split among liberal organizations that have played a key role in building support for the deal on Capitol Hill.
