A congressional source just told me that a rebellion by House members against the Iran deal has forced Speaker John Boehner to reverse course and not pursue a resolution of disapproval of the agreement.
House consideration of a resolution of disapproval was supposed to begin at 11 a.m. today. This was delayed due to dissention by rank-and-file GOP members sparked by a floor resolution filed by Congressman Peter Roskam (R., Ill.) that Congress cannot consider the Iran deal under Corker-Cardin since President Obama did not comply with its requirements to provide all documents associated with the agreement to Congress, including all side agreements. Roskam believes this includes the secret side deals between the IAEA and Iran.
My source tells me House GOP opposition to going forward under Corker-Cardin is so strong that Boehner agreed to drop this process and instead adopt a different approach with three House resolutions.
#related#The first would declare that President Obama violated Corker-Cardin by failing to provide the side deals to Congress.
The second will bar President Obama from lifting sanctions against Iran.
The third will be a resolution outside of Corker-Cardin to “approve” the Iran deal that all Republicans will vote no on. Most Democrats will vote yes.
If this arrangement occurs, it will be a repudiation of President Obama’s Iran diplomacy and of Corker-Cardin. It will also provide Boehner with a way out of a GOP rebellion over the Iran deal. (I was at the rally outside the Capitol today. This rebellion was quite evident.)
These resolutions will still be vetoed by President Obama and could be filibustered. But they remove some of the absurdity of the Corker-Cardin process by forcing supporters of the Iran deal to cast three votes that more clearly put them on the record as supporting the dangerous Iran nuclear pact.