Obama Secures Votes to override Congress on Iran Deal

Local Editor

With a Maryland lawmaker announcing her support for the Iran nuclear deal, US President Barack Obama has enough votes in the Senate to veto the disapproval by the Republican majority. Europe, Russia, China and the UN have endorsed the deal already.

Barbara Mikulski of Maryland announced on Wednesday she would endorse the agreement, finalized in July after lengthy negotiations between Iran and six world powers.

The decision, she said, came after careful consideration of how the deal would affect both the US and "Israel".

"I have spent countless hours reading, being briefed and pouring over the intelligence. I have diligently worked to make an informed decision," Mikulski said, calling the deal the "the best option available to block Iran from having a nuclear bomb."

Congressional approval of a treaty would normally require 67 votes in the 100-member Senate. However, under the law giving Congress review powers over the Iran deal, the legislators would need 67 votes to pass a resolution of disapproval immune to the presidential veto.

With Mikulski's endorsement being the 34th vote in favor of the deal, the Republicans do not have the required majority to sink the deal in the Senate.

The White House has made a big push to "sell" the deal to the American public, with President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry giving a series of major speeches explaining the agreement's salient points. The Obama administration even created a separate Twitter account, promoting The Iran Deal with memes and catchy quotes.

Kerry gave an impassioned speech about the deal on Wednesday in Philadelphia, arguing that the agreement would stop a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

Earlier in the day, he made an appearance on MSNBC, saying that upholding the deal was a matter of US credibility.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team