Senate Leaders Mum, But House May Vote on Iran Sanctions Soon

House Hawks Hope to Pressure Senate Into Voting Sooner

Senate leaders are still mum on the question of when, or even if the Iran sanctions bill will be brought up for a vote, with Majority Leader Harry Reid (D – NV) reportedly inclined to take a “wait and see” approach. Hawks are hoping to force his hand.

And while 59 Senators are on board with the sanctions, which would effectively sabotage ongoing P5+1 diplomacy with Iran, the biggest pressure could come from the House of Representatives, where GOP leaders are hoping to have a vote soon, possibly later this month, on the same bill.

If the House passes the Senate’s bill first, the theory goes, the Senate’s leadership will be even more pressed to allow a vote, and only one Senator short of a filibuster-proof majority, would almost certainly pass.

President Obama has promised to veto any such bill, saying it would kill diplomacy and amounts to an attempt to force a war with Iran. The bill’s proponents say they hope to have enough votes to override a veto, but whether they can do so remains to be seen.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.