Leaders of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee reached agreement on Tuesday on revisions to a bipartisan bill that would allow Congress to vote on an international agreement to rein in Iran's nuclear program. Committee Chairman Bob Corker and the panel's top Democrat, Senator Ben Cardin, said they had worked out new wording which they hope will attract enough support to overcome a possible veto by President Barack Obama. The revisions would shorten the time in which Congress can review any final nuclear agreement and soften a requirement that Obama certify that Iran is not supporting acts of terrorism against the United States or its citizens abroad. The Committee of 10 Republicans and nine Democrats is scheduled to debate and vote on the measure on Tuesday afternoon. If it is approved, the legislation would be sent for a vote in the full 100-member Senate. Supporters hope the compromise agreement will win strong support from both Republicans and Democrats. A close committee vote would dim its prospects in the full chamber. Corker said he was pleased with the bipartisan work on the "manager's package" of amendments. "We have kept the pure integrity of the process in place," he told reporters as he walked into a classified briefing for the full Senate by Secretary of State John Kerry on the interim Iran nuclear deal reached on April 2. That framework deal, reached by Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, is part of an effort to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. A final comprehensive agreement is due by June 30. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and not to develop weapons capability, as the West fears. CONGRESS'S REVIEW PERIOD Russia on Monday introduced a new wrinkle into the convoluted international wrangling around the nuclear talks by lifting a self-imposed ban on delivering its S-300 missile defense system to Tehran. The move did not formally violate international sanctions on Iran and the State Department said the administration did not believe it would disrupt the unity at the talks, but Kerry raised concerns over the move with Moscow. Under the compromise worked out by the Senate committee leaders, after the final nuclear agreement in June there would be a review period of 30 days, with an additional 12 days for a possible veto by Obama and 10 days for a possible veto override vote. During the review period the Obama administration would be barred from giving Iran relief from sanctions imposed by Congress. The compromise reached on Tuesday removed a provision that would have forced Obama to certify that Iran has not supported any act of terrorism against the United States or US citizens anywhere in the world. That provision would be replaced by a requirement that the president provide Congress with a series of reports on a range of issues, including terrorism. Obama had promised to veto the bill in its original form. It was not immediately clear how the White House would respond to the changes if they pass the full committee. Administration officials have said the bill impinges on the president's authority and includes provisions that could kill any chance of reaching a final nuclear deal with Tehran. Overriding a veto would require the approval of two-thirds of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, meaning it would need the support of many of Obama's fellow Democrats. Lawmakers said it was too early to know whether the bill would pass the Senate and House in the coming weeks, let alone win the backing of the 67 senators and 290 House members needed to override a veto. Republicans hold 54 seats in the 100-member Senate and 244 in the 435-seat House. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/127683.aspx
