The Senate is currently considering whether to add specific requirements for an Iran deal to the legislation it’s currently considering that will require Obama to submit a deal to Congress, where it could be rejected by a veto-proof majority. That’s pretty small rose water, so senators especially worried Obama is going to reach a dangerous deal, including Rubio, want to write parameters for a deal into the legislation. The problem is that Obama is protesting some of these strictures would box him in and prevent him from reaching a deal, so he’s saying he’ll veto the bill if it has certain (read: almost any) requirements.
Hence Rubio’s idea: an amendment that requires a deal to abide by the terms the Obama administration used to describe the outline deal reached at the beginning of April. As Bloomberg View’s Eli Lake reports, this would mean sanctions can only be phased out gradually, as the Iranians demonstrate compliance. Iran has said it will insist on immediate relief, and the Obama administration is suggesting it’s willing to move in that direction.
So, sure, this would box the Obama administration in — with its own promises.