Riled at his inability to break the filibuster on a bill to block the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R – KY) sought to dramatically undermine the deal by tacking a new set of conditions onto the Iran Sanctions Act making US compliance with the deal contingent on Iran endorsing Israel as a “Jewish state.”
The assumption on Sen. McConnell’s part was that the Israel link would make it impossible for senators to oppose it, and would kill US compliance with the nuclear pact in everything but name. It’s not working.
Instead, McConnell’s resolution is fueling even more opposition to the Iran Sanctions Act than they had for the bill to block the nuclear deal, with Senate Democrats who were on his side before, including Chuck Schumer (D – NY) and Ben Cardin (D – MD).
With even more opposition from the Democrats, Sen. McConnell is now facing the possibility that he will either have to abandon the amendment in another high profile defeat or face the prospect of losing the extension of the Iran Sanctions Act entirely over his amendment.
