Senate Foreign Relations Committee Calls for Congressional Involvement in Negotiations with Iran

With the appointment of Bob Corker as the new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, resolving tensions in Congress regarding relations with Iran will be one of his priorities. The Huffington Post reported that while the possibility of further sanctions against Iran exists, Bob Corker stated on Wednesday, January 7, that his important priority is to find a way for Congress to intervene in the nuclear negotiations with Iran. Corker, a Republican senator from Tennessee, said hours after his appointment as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: "Certainly, the Iranian parliament plays a role in the nuclear negotiations, so we believe that the U.S. Congress should also be involved in this matter." Two potential options for positioning regarding the nuclear program will be influenced by actions from Congress, which is currently majority Republican. The proposed bill by Senator Robert Menendez, the former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, which was approved by both parties, still poses a threat to Iran. On the other hand, the proposed bill by Bob Corker and Lindsey Graham, Republican senators, emphasizes the necessity of Congress approving any nuclear agreement with Iran. Menendez's proposal will be presented in the Senate Banking and Finance Committee, but the approval of other bills falls under Bob Corker's authority. He stated that he will work to garner bipartisan support for his proposed bill. Corker's bill has thus far received support from Republican senators. He said: "The Corker-Graham bill has garnered significant support, including from Senators John McCain, Marco Rubio, and others. This bill will be a tool for Congress to exert power over any agreement with Iran." The Huffington Post's report continues that with the start of the new Congress, all bills presented to the previous Congress are legally considered null and void. However, members of both the Democratic and Republican parties stated on Wednesday, at the start of the new Congress, that the proposed bills regarding Iran will remain in effect and will soon be addressed in Congress. While doubts about the U.S.-Iran agreement in the nuclear negotiations have intensified, Republicans seem optimistic about garnering support for their desired bill. Although the Obama administration has not completely sidelined Congress from the nuclear negotiations, it should be noted that any potential agreement in these discussions will not be structured as a treaty and therefore does not require Congressional approval. Despite warnings from the U.S. government against passing any bill that could jeopardize the fragile nuclear negotiations with Iran, even prominent Democratic senators have previously threatened that they might propose new sanctions against Iran. While the previous Democratic majority in the Senate was willing to delay their threats and pressures against Iran due to the White House's policy, it seems that the current Republican majority in this chamber is unwilling to show flexibility in this regard. Nuclear negotiations with Iran will resume in January in Geneva. After a deadlock in discussions last November, the deadline for these negotiations was extended until July of this year.