Dem senator wants to separate terrorism from Iran nuclear fight

Sen. Chris Coons wants to modify Iran legislation to separate Tehran’s support of terrorism against the United States from the ongoing debate over its nuclear program.

{mosads}The Delaware Democrat’s amendment would remove Congress’s ability to reinstate sanctions against Iran if President Obama doesn’t, or isn’t able to, certify that Iran hasn’t directly supported or carried out terrorism against the United States or a U.S. citizen anywhere in the world.

The amendment alleges that “Iran supports, finances, plans, and carries out acts of terrorism throughout the world, which poses a threat to the United States and its allies and must be stopped.”

While Coons remains concerned about Iran’s terrorism-related activities, Sean Coit, his communications director, said “the amendment ensures that Congress remains focused on the issue at hand, which is Iran’s illicit nuclear program.”

Democrats and the White House have argued that Iran’s nuclear program and its support of terrorism should be separate issues.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday that “we’ve been very clear that this agreement is focused on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and that it is not going to succeed in resolving the long list of concerns that we have with Iran’s behavior.”

Coons’s proposal is the latest sign that Democrats are wavering on a bill sponsored by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), amidst an all-out push by the White House to stall the proposal until June 30. Negotiators have until then to finalize the details of an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.

An aide for Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said Wednesday that the senator, an original co-sponsor of the legislation, is “intending to make some modifications that will be acceptable to the White House.”

And Sue Walitsky, a spokeswoman for Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), said the senator, who is the new ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee, “is working on language to ensure that the legislation is consistent with the agreement negotiated.”

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) has also softened his stance. A spokesman said it’s “TBD” if Warner will vote for the bill if it comes up before June 30, or support a veto override.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Foreign Relations panel, told Reuters that the Iran legislation has already been softened so that a failure to pass legislation on the deal would count as congressional approval of the agreement.

Kaine added that, at his request, the legislation would only deal with the administration wanting to roll back sanctions imposed by Congress.

The Iran legislation is expected to be taken up Tuesday by the Foreign Relations Committee. It would allow lawmakers to weigh in on any deal over Iran’s nuclear program. It would also block Obama from rolling back sanctions for roughly two months while Congress debates the deal.

Under the current legislation, Obama is required to tell congressional committees roughly every three months that Iran is implementing and hasn’t violated a final agreement on its nuclear program, hasn’t taken action to advance its nuclear weapons program, and hasn’t supported or carried out terrorism against the United States.

— Updated at 3:47 p.m.