(WASHINGTON EXAMINER) President Obama ended months of stonewalling and agreed Tuesday that he would sign legislation allowing lawmakers to review any nuclear deal with Iran, after Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee banded together to unanimously approve compromise language.
The panel voted 19-0 to approve legislation worked out between Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, who took over as ranking Democrat after Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey was indicted on federal corruption charges. Menendez was co-author of the legislation with Corker.
The deal shortened the congressional review period for any agreement from 60 days to 30 days and eliminated a requirement that the president periodically certify that Iran is keeping to the terms of any agreement and "has not directly supported or carried out an act of terrorism against the United States, or a United States person anywhere in the world."