There’s virtually no way the Republicans can stop President Obama from implementing the highly controversial U.S.-Iran nuclear nonproliferation deal after the Senate failed on Thursday to muster a 60-vote supermajority necessary to approve a resolution of disapproval. But the House on Friday began a series of maneuvers to highlight their extreme displeasure with the deal.
House GOP leaders held a largely symbolic vote to put all members on the record about whether they approved or disapproved of the deal.
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Not surprisingly, the resolution approving the nuclear agreement was resoundingly defeated in the House, 269 to 162, with every Republican member voting against it and all but 25 Democrats voting for it. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have said it’s an outrage that Congress will never have a true up or down vote on the nuclear agreement, which some critics warn will eventually smooth the way for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon that could be used against Israel. Today’s vote in the House chamber provides the clearest picture of where member stands on the issue and exposes the rift within the Democratic party over the efficacy of the deal.
The House action coincided with the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a fact that many Republicans were eager to highlight during floor debate as they accused Obama and the Democrats of backing a bad deal that would jeopardize national security and the future of Israel, according to The Hill. "Do not sacrifice the safety, the security and the stability of 300 million Americans for the legacy of one man," pleaded Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.).
Many Democrats echoed President Obama’s argument that the administration extracted the best deal possible, one that would sidetrack Iran’s nuclear ambitions for more than a decade and allow international inspectors to gain extraordinary access to Iranian nuclear facilities. But other Democrats – especially Jewish members who are greatly concerned about the security of Israel – were far less sanguine about the agreement.
Related: White House: Congress' opportunity to nix Iran nuclear deal ends September 17
Here is a list of the 25 House Democrats who voted against the agreement: Reps. Brad Ashford (NE), Brendan Boyle (PA), Tony Cardenas (CA), Ted Deutch (FL), Eliot Engel (NY), Lois Frankel (FL), Gwen Graham (FL), Gene Green (TX), Alcee Hastings (FL), Steve Israel (NY), Ted Lieu (CA), Dan Lipinski (IL), Nita Lowey (NY), Carolyn Maloney (NY), Grace Meng (NY), Grace Napolitano (CA), Donald Norcross (NJ), Collin Peterson (MN), Kathleen Rice (NY), David Scott (GA), Brad Sherman (CA), Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), Albio Sires (NJ), Juan Vargas (CA) and Filemon Vela (TX).
