Sen. Tom Cotton: Iran nuclear deal a product of Obama’s ‘hubris’

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said on Tuesday night that President Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran prioritizes his quest for a personal legacy above the nation’s needs.

“Obama’s disregard for the treaty process is the height of hubris,” Cotton said, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

{mosads}“He mistook his desire for a legacy for a vital national interest,” he added. “It [is] bad precedent to allow a nuclear arms control agreement with a sworn enemy to go into effect without even a bare majority of support.”

Cotton’s remarks follow the Senate’s second vote against a resolution disapproving of Obama’s historic pact with Iran.

The Senate voted 56-42 for the measure, short of the 60 votes needed to move forward.

Cotton argued on Tuesday night, after the vote, that Obama is mistaken on what presidential actions are best for preserving his place in history.

“Future presidents will see that securing the advice and consent of the Senate is a truly secure legacy,” he said.

Cotton added that he will “put other countries on notice” that any commander in chief after Obama may revoke the Iran deal at any time.

The Obama administration announced it had secured its landmark diplomatic agreement with Tehran in June. The accord eases economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for greater restrictions on its atomic energy capabilities.

GOP critics say the deal presents a national security risk, citing Iran’s purported untrustworthiness during negotiations over its nuclear arms research.

Cotton, a vocal critic of the deal, wrote an open leader to Iranian leadership earlier this year asserting that Congress can void its details at any time.

The 2016 Republican presidential field has also overwhelmingly criticized the pact’s content and restrictions.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, for example, has vowed that he would tear up the agreement on his first day in office. GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump, meanwhile, has said he would negotiate a better version that is more favorable to American interests.

Secretary of State John Kerry led U.S. efforts at the negotiating table with Iran over 18 months of negotiations in Vienna.

The United Kingdom, China, France, Germany and Russia were all also key players in securing the deal.