Senate

Reid offers GOP a deal on Iran vote

by Jordain Carney - 09/05/15 5:19 PM ET

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Saturday suggested Democrats wouldn’t to try to block a final vote on the Iran nuclear deal — but only if Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) agrees to a higher threshold for passage.

“I recently informed Senator McConnell that after a period of robust debate, Democrats would be happy to proceed straight to a final passage vote that is consistent with Senator McConnell’s many statements that important matters in the Senate have ‘for quite some time required sixty votes,’ ” Reid said in a statement. “The choice is up to him.”

{mosads}The Nevada Democrat’s offer comes as the Senate is expected to take up a resolution of disapproval on the Iran nuclear deal that is aimed at killing the agreement.

While President Obama has the votes needed to uphold a potential presidential veto, he’s still at least three supporters short of 41 senators — a total that would successfully block the resolution from passing in the first place.

While Reid’s offer would let Republicans bypass procedural votes on the Iran resolution, it would still require that they get 60 supporters — the same number they would need to overcome a potential Democratic filibuster.

But Reid said Saturday that Republicans, as well as supporters of the deal, “have always known” 60 votes would be needed to move a resolution on the Iran nuclear deal through the Senate.

“Democrats continue to live up to our pledges to behave in a constructive and cooperative fashion,” he added. “On the Iran Review Act, I hope Senator McConnell and Senate Republicans can take yes for an answer and allow the Senate to proceed directly to a final passage vote after a period of robust debate.”

Republicans, including Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), have slammed Democrats for potentially requiring that they overcome a filibuster to pass the Iran resolution. Congress passed legislation by a 98-1 vote earlier this year that allows them to weigh in and vote on the deal.

But even if Obama does get 41 senators to back the Iran deal, it’s unclear he would have the support to filibuster the agreement. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who is still undecided, said this week that even if he supports the deal, he wouldn’t support a filibuster.

Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), who announced his support this week, told CNN that it would be “regrettable” if senators didn’t take an up-or-down vote — suggesting he might not support a filibuster either.

Tags Bob Corker Chris Coons Harry Reid Harry Reid Joe Manchin Mitch McConnell Mitch McConnell United States Senate