Senator Reid: Congress Should Not Interfere with Iran Negotiations Until Final Results Are Known

Senator Harry Reid, the Democratic minority leader in the U.S. Senate, urged the U.S. Congress to refrain from intervening in the nuclear talks with Iran until they conclude. According to the Associated Press, Reid stated on Wednesday, March 4, "It is better that we do not interfere until it is clear what the negotiations will yield and what the results will be." The Republican majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate has expressed a desire to pass a measure that would increase sanctions if the negotiations with Iran do not succeed. President Barack Obama has told Congress that such a measure is not advisable at this time and that he would veto it if it were passed. Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on March 3, in which he called for preventing a "bad deal" with Iran, congressional Republicans have once again demanded Congress's involvement in the negotiations. Senator Reid has been undergoing treatment for several weeks and attended the congressional session on March 3 for Netanyahu's speech. In an interview with the Associated Press, Reid said, "If the current negotiations lead to an agreement, we will engage with all our energy afterward. But until then, it takes away our belief that it is possible to reach a good agreement." Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader in the Senate, stated after Netanyahu's speech that Congress should vote on any potential agreement with Iran. McConnell's proposed measure is set to be brought to a vote in the Senate next week.