Obama and Senator Corker Discuss Nuclear Agreement with Iran

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, has had a phone conversation with Senator Bob Corker, one of the architects of a proposal that requires the final agreement with Iran to be approved by Congress. Bob Corker, a Republican senator, is the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In a recent statement regarding the nuclear agreement between Tehran and global powers in Lausanne, he emphasized that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, based on a pre-existing agenda, will review a proposal on April 14 (five days from now) that obliges the President of the United States to submit the final agreement with Tehran for review and approval by Congress. However, Barack Obama has stated that he would ultimately veto such a proposal, but this Republican senator claims that the proposal has the support of a group of Democratic senators as well, and the number of those who may vote in favor has reached a threshold that could encompass two-thirds of all senators. In that case, the President's veto would lose its effect. The proposal to be reviewed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee does not allow Obama to suspend sanctions against Iran during the 60-day period in which Congress is reviewing the final agreement. These sanctions are separate from those imposed by the White House. Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, stated that Obama reiterated in his conversation with Senator Corker what he has communicated to the public, that a 'principled approach to diplomacy' is the best way to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, the President has also spoken with Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, a senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee. Following this 15-minute conversation, Senator Cardin told PBS that he is trying to 'bridge the gaps' between existing differences. Reports indicate that Democrats are working to modify the proposal in a way that might gain the government's potential approval. Mr. Earnest stated on April 8 that the phone conversation between Obama and Corker was not an opportunity for the two sides to negotiate the terms of the proposal, but rather a chance for the President to emphasize his position directly to the Chairman regarding the current situation. The website Politico, citing a source close to the matter, says that Obama administration officials are paying special attention to Senator Corker, not only because he is the architect of the congressional review of the nuclear agreement but also because he is seen as more optimistic than many Republicans who have already rejected the agreement with Tehran. A recent poll shows that 31% of Republicans support the nuclear agreement with Iran. Furthermore, according to the White House spokesman, 'the situation we are in now is to help members of Congress understand exactly what commitments Iran has undertaken.' This is the latest part of President Obama's efforts to engage with opponents of the nuclear agreement with Iran, while the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency has also stated that he is 'surprised' by the concessions Iran has made in the nuclear negotiations. John Brennan said, 'I am pleasantly surprised that the Iranians have agreed to so much.' Meanwhile, a recent poll shows that 31% of Republicans support the nuclear agreement with Iran, which Reuters describes as a 'major challenge' for representatives of this party in Congress, most of whom oppose the agreement.