Sen. Menendez Says Biden Committed to Congressional Review of Iran Deal

Menendez isn't sure if the review means Congress could block the deal

During a visit to Jerusalem, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said that the Biden administration has committed to submitting any agreement reached with Iran related to its nuclear program to Congress for review.

Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, opposed the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, when it was first negotiated in 2015.

“The administration has made the commitment that if they enter into an agreement to follow on from what was the JCPOA, they will submit it to Congress and we will review it,” Menendez said at a press conference in Jerusalem, according to The Times of Israel.

He said that the review would start with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which would be followed by a vote in the Senate. With virtually all Republicans and some Democrats opposed to reviving the JCPOA, it’s unlikely a vote endorsing an agreement with Iran would pass.

But Menendez said he was “unsure” if the congressional review means that Congress would be able to block a potential agreement. “Whether that vote meets the threshold under the law to nullify that agreement is another question,” he said.

Menendez traveled to Israel as part of a delegation led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Graham said there would be bipartisan opposition in Congress to any efforts to reach an agreement with Iran.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.