Obama Signs Bill Requiring Congressional Review of Iran Nuclear Agreement

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, signed a congressional bill on Friday, May 22, requiring the U.S. legislative body to review the final agreement with Iran. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Obama signed the bill at the White House without a ceremony. However, the U.S. President stated that he welcomes a thorough and meticulous examination of the nuclear negotiations with Iran. With the enactment of this law, Congress effectively gains the right to oversee, approve, and potentially reject the agreement with Iran. Iran is currently negotiating with the U.S., the U.K., France, China, Russia, and Germany, the P5+1 group, to reach a final agreement. The deadline for such an agreement ends in June. Under this law, Congress will have 30 days to review the final nuclear agreement text with the P5+1, and if opposed, it can reject the agreement. This bill was initially passed in the U.S. Senate on May 6 with an overwhelming majority, with 98 out of 100 senators voting in favor. The House of Representatives also approved the bill on May 14 with an absolute majority. Previously, the government and representatives of the Senate and House had severe disagreements on how to resolve the Iranian nuclear dispute. However, Barack Obama ultimately agreed to congressional oversight of the nuclear negotiations with Iran. This law prohibits Barack Obama from suspending congressional sanctions for thirty days. If Congress opposes this agreement and its implementation, Barack Obama can still use his veto power against this decision. Meanwhile, on Friday, May 22, Barack Obama stated that since a potential nuclear agreement with Iran will be 'in his name,' he will not accept a 'bad deal.' Iran and the U.S., U.K., France, China, Russia, and Germany (P5+1 members) announced on April 2 in Lausanne, Switzerland, that they had established the 'frameworks' for the final agreement. According to the Lausanne understanding, the scope of Iran's nuclear program will be limited in exchange for lifting EU and U.S. sanctions and UN Security Council resolutions against the Islamic Republic.