Support from Two More Senators for Iran Deal; Total Supporters Reach 33

Senators Bob Casey and Chris Coons have joined the supporters of the nuclear agreement in the United States Senate. With this, the number of senators supporting the deal has reached 33. President Barack Obama needs 34 votes in favor to potentially veto any opposition votes against the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers. In this case, the number of opponents in the Senate, which is majority-held by Republicans, would not reach two-thirds, allowing the President to exercise his legal right to a potential veto. The New York Times states that these two recent votes from two 'key' senators provide 'fundamental support' for the agreement and put the U.S. President on the brink of victory regarding it. According to the newspaper, especially Senator Coons' support could be of great importance in influencing other undecided Democratic senators; he is a significant member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and had previously expressed deep concerns about a potential agreement with Iran. Senator Casey has also told reporters that he still approaches the agreement with caution, but ultimately concluded that supporting it is in the interest of U.S. national security. Reuters also reports that Senators Casey and Coons are both considered very tough on Iran but have now supported the nuclear deal. Supporters of the agreement need one more vote to legitimize the President's veto power against a potential majority of opposition. However, reports indicate they are working to increase the number of supporters to 41, so that the agreement can be implemented without needing a presidential veto. Among Democratic senators, currently, only two, Chuck Schumer and Bob Menendez, have publicly opposed the Iran agreement. In the House of Representatives, supporters need a total of 146 votes. In this chamber, more than 90 Democrats, including a group of senior representatives, have declared their support for the agreement. The nuclear deal is set to be voted on September 17, two weeks from now.