House GOP to postpone vote on Iran after member revolt

[still_one]

Source: The Hill

House Republican leaders are delaying a vote on the Iran nuclear deal scheduled for Wednesday because of a rebellion from rank-and-file conservatives.

The House was to hold a procedural vote to begin 11 hours of debate on a resolution disapproving the deal at 1 p.m. Instead, they will gather at 4 p.m. to discuss strategy.

"We will continue the conversation on Iran from this morning and discuss strategy for the rest of the week," a GOP leadership aide said.

The House subsequently went into recess shortly after noon once leadership called off the procedural vote.

GOP leaders had to change course after hearing an earful from rank-and-file members during a morning conference meeting.
Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are demanding that the Obama administration send side deals between Iran and international nuclear inspectors to Congress as part of the Iran deal now under consideration. Opponents of the deal have argued that the clock on congressional consideration of the deal has not even begun until these side deals are submitted.

Under legislation approved earlier this year, Congress has 60 days to review the deal before the White House can begin lifting sanctions on Tehran, as required under the nuclear deal.

Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) has offered a resolution that would prevent a vote on the Iran deal until all of the documents of the international agreement — including the deals between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are provided to Congress for review.

“We had a very healthy conversation with our members this morning. There is some interest in the idea offered by Mr. [Mike] Pompeo, Mr. Roskam. We're going to continue to have those conversations,” Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said after a GOP conference meeting.

In the Senate, there is skepticism from Republicans about the conservative plan.

“As I understand law, once Sept. 17 passes is it not the case that the president will take the view that he is free to go forward,” to lift sanctions, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said, rejecting the proposal.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) also dismissed the proposal.

Aides said they are looking at changing the “rule” — which governs debate on the House floor — so that a vote on Iran can still happen this week.

Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) predicted that the procedural vote on the rule would fail if it were held Wednesday. But neither he nor other members of the House Freedom Caucus who believe Congress lacks all the information it needs to vote on the deal would commit to voting against the rule on the floor.

“If we take a vote prematurely, then we’re saying it doesn’t matter. And again, that’s another form of approval. Why do we want to approve anything here when it’s a bad deal and we don’t even know the worst part of it?” Fleming said.

Fleming suggested that allowing lawmakers to review the side agreements between Iran and the IAEA could even flip some Democrats to oppose the deal.

“Let’s say that something comes out that’s so hideous and so egregious that even Democrats wouldn’t dare go along with this deal,” Fleming said. “You don’t know what you don’t know. We didn’t know that the NSA was doing bulk collection of emails until we found about it.”

But other Republicans say it's too late to try to stall the vote when Congress's 60-day review period will close on Sept. 17.

“You know what, I think it’s pretty clear that a month and a half ago we understood that Sept. 17 would be the drop-dead date. And the week we’re doing it is a little bit late to bring up the argument,” said House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas).

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/253058-gop-divided-on-iran-vote-delay

[Jester Messiah]

1. If the republicans ever got their shit together they might pose a danger.

If only to themselves.

[Purveyor]

2. Regardless of what the US does, the rest of the world will be lifting sanctions and profitting

nicely with the renewed trade/deals with Iran.

The cows have already left that barn...

[Fred Sanders]

15. What is this so-called "rest of the world" - the tea people think liberals are just making that up?

[PatrynXX]

23. ie we'd be kicked out like Russia and it'd be the G6 then

ouch. that would mess us up then we'd get sanctioned

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. They can just delay the vote indefinitely

If they don't do their job, then the President isn't to blame for them not being able to vote on the deal to express their "disapproval".

[still_one]

4. Can the deal still go through in that case?

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

7. Yes. BO can jam it throught!

[still_one]

21. Good

[Proud Liberal Dem]

16. I *think* the law says that Congress has 60 days to review it

After that, PBO can lift the sanctions. I don't know that Congress can delay the deal indefinitely by refusing to hold a vote on it but I guess I'm not 100% sure how this is supposed to work. I honestly don't get how/why they are able to delay anything or have a say on a multi-country agreement. I think that Obama ultimately accepted this because Congress was threatening to tie his hands on implementing it/lifting the sanctions, so he agreed to allow Congress an opportunity to review the deal with the proviso that he be able to veto their disapproval and force Congress to have to override his veto if they want to keep it from happening. Now that he was able to get enough support to potentially filibuster it, the Republicans are, predictably, having a fit about it in the House.

[still_one]

32. excellent

[karynnj]

24. yes. it is incumbent on them to pass a bill against to stop it and they have until the 17th.

The possibilities included - passing a bill approving it (yeah, sure) -- ok
- passing a bill that that is against it -- that the President vetoes --- and the veto is sustained --- ok
--- the veto is over ridden --- NO DEAL
--- that the President opts not to veto (not going to happen) -- No Deal

- They can't pass any bill -- ok
(I always thought that a Senate filibuster was the only way this happens.

[Bubzer]

19. Sure, they can delay... but it won't make a difference.

Obama has made his intent clear. Trying to change the rules one week away from when Obama will act, is too little, too late.

Obama will be able to proceed as he intends, and have plenty of legal cover to overcome any claims of "but we didn't get our 60 days!!!".

[randome]

5. Why would Congress get to approve or disapprove of deals between Iran and non-American agencies?

They look like losers AGAIN!
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers, it's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

8. They only think they can. This is all the purvue of the Executive Branch.

Bunch of buffoons!

[Bubzer]

20. +1

They want the international power and recognition afforded the President and the SoS... but in the process are making themselves (and our country, unfortunately) look bad.

[Fred Sanders]

26. Remember when Obama negotiated the current procedure because the idiot GOP base had to be

fooled into thinking Congress has a say in foreign policy that is not a treaty?

The GOP were snookered behind the black ball 3 months ago when Congress vote for this procedure of a non-binding "resolution of disapproval" that meant nothing from the moment Obama signed the law Congress is now operating under.

Only now do the tea people politicians with exactly the same smarts as the tea people voters that elect them realize they are behind the 8-ball with no way out.....OBAMA!

Obama is awesome....that is the missing ingredient no one is talking about.

[geek tragedy]

6. This a day after Senate R's whined about a possible filibuster nt

[BlueIdaho]

9. Bloody Typical

Republican response to their obligations to govern. Bury their heads in the sand and ignore their duty - confusing doing nothing with doing something.

[Wellstone ruled]

10. October is the traditional kick off for

up coming campaign season which is now 13 months rather than the old format of 6-7 weeks. In saying such,all the Media Consultants have to get their Candidates C-Span screen captures and Audio sound bites. Nothing more than a Dog and Pony Show at tax payer expense.

[Fred Sanders]

13. Well said. 13 months for the campaign season is a totally made up fiction of the mass media.

13 months for a campaign is totally ridiculous.

13 months before an election is called the "governing season".

[Wellstone ruled]

22. Well,that would be true in past History.

What seems to be happening in real time is,the pure lack of Governing by the GOP,noticed their total contempt for the Nation as a whole. Seems they are content on doing what they want because they do not fear any challenges from anyone in their districts which gerrymandered in their favor. And we wonder where the apathy by the rank and file comes from,say no more.

[Fred Sanders]

25. The media campagin season starting now is to fill the void of no actual governing allowed.

[Wellstone ruled]

28. So true. Just like the so called

diversion happening in Kentucky. What do we expect from the Media Steno Pool,sure as hell is not going to be investigative Journalism.

[Fred Sanders]

29. The mass media is the common and major enemy of all Democrats who value truth and real debate, on this we can agree.

[Wellstone ruled]

30. Yes!!!

[C Moon]

11. Taking the Kim Davis approach to doing their jobs.

[harun]

12. Children, how do these people get elected?

[maxrandb]

14. Poor Boner

He has to deal with idiots that couldn't pour piss out of a boot if you put the directions on the bottom.

This is all the work of the "efffing" Talk-Radio Caucus in the House and Senate.

Heard Limbaugh, Hannity and Levine floating this idiotic shit that the review didn't "really" start until the House could review deals that were made exclusively by the IAEA and Iran. Guess the T-Baggers are taking their legislative advice from a former drywall hangar and a drug addled, bloviating blowhard.

Can't feel sorry for Boner though. He helped create this shit.

[maxrandb]

17. Well, I guess that ruins

their blatant political attempt to hold the vote on the Iran Deal on the Anniversary of 9/11.

Nothing says "Asshat", quite like using the graves of over 3,000 Americans killed on Dick and Junior's Watch to try to make political hay.

How completely "Dickish" of them.

[wolfie001]

18. Fake outraged m*f*ckers

They all need basic psycho tests. I'm sure more than half are cray cray.

[Hortensis]

27. Maybe. Col. Wilkerson, ex-Chief of Staff to SecState Powell, said on TV Cheney "now is just crazy."

“I have been searching for a single word that would describe Dick Cheney…and I am afraid the only one that I can think of is ‘insanity’. It’s a deliberate, it’s a methodical, it’s a lucid, often lucid insanity. But it is insanity nonetheless. He can’t recognize reality. He can’t recognize the truth. ..." He said he once was brilliant but has changed.

I've read that from others who had worked with him for years now.

[slumcamper]

31. Their end game: sustain outrage.

Attention, cynics!

With no alternatives to block the deal, this manuever is a charade calculated to sustain the outrage they have cultivated among the RW militant and fear-prone base.

Sept. 17 will arrive, BO will act, and they will throw red meat to their deluded but dwindling masses by proclaiming once again, "Obama is a lawless president who is exceeding his authority."

They've pushed that narrative so many times we can repeat it by memory. Unfortunately, many have bought into their lie.

This last-minute attempt at heroics is pure posturing, designed to salvage the only shred of political capital they can gain while going down in DEFEAT. And it will fool some and provide good fodder for the tiresome FOX and RW talk radio narrative.