Senator to Dems: You can’t avoid Iran vote
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) warned senators Monday that they’re voting on a controversial Iran amendment to the energy funding bill — even if Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has to force one.
“It will have a vote, make no mistake about it,” Alexander said. “The majority leader, any majority leader, has the right to file cloture on an amendment like the Cotton amendment.”
{mosads}Republicans are trying for a third time Monday evening to end a Democratic blockade on moving forward with the energy and water appropriations bill.
Cotton’s amendment threw the appropriations bill into limbo late last month. The amendment would prevent the U.S. government from purchasing Iran’s heavy water, which can be used for nuclear reactors.
Though it’s not currently scheduled to get a vote, Democrats have repeatedly warned that it’s inclusion would force President Obama to veto the bill.
If McConnell has to file cloture, it would set up a procedural vote on Cotton’s amendment for Wednesday.
Alexander on Monday said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is willing to accept a 60-vote threshold on his amendment, which would allow them to skip over the procedural hurdle.
Both Alexander and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said they would keep talking ahead of Monday’s vote to see if they could get a deal to break the logjam over the spending bill.
But Feinstein warned that “not everybody gets their vote” and there are “some very strong feelings” among Democrats to keep blocking the energy bill until the fight over the Cotton amendment is resolved.
“What has been an unusual thing is for one person to take down a bill,” she said, adding that Cotton’s amendment is “one senator essentially hitting at the Iran nuclear agreement.”
It’s unlikely Cotton would be able to get 60 votes for his amendment. Alexander, who opposes the Iran nuclear deal, said he would vote against it.
He warned that if Cotton’s amendment was added to the legislation and signed into law, it could result in Iran selling its heavy water to countries like North Korea instead of the United States. He said the proposal should go through the regular committee process.
Even if Cotton were to get the support of every Republican, he would still need six Democratic votes.
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