Obama Admin Defensive After Security Council Vote On Iran . . .
. . . Miscreant Kerry Says Iran Vow To Defy U.S. Is 'Very Disturbing.' What did he expect "kisses and rainbows'?
Today in Washington, D.C. - July 21, 2015.
The House reconvened at Noon. As Congress reconvenes today, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) ordered flags over the United States Capitol to be flown at half-staff to honor the five service members killed in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The Speaker then announced that the House is in recess until 2:00 P.M. today.
The House may consider the following bills today:
H.R. 2256 — "To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit an annual report on the Veterans Health Administration and the furnishing of hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care by the Department of Veterans Affairs."
H.R. 1557 — "To amend the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 to strengthen Federal antidiscrimination laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and expand accountability within the Federal government, and for other purposes."
The Senate reconvened at 10 AM today and began a period of morning business. At 4 PM, the Senate will vote on cloture on the motion to proceed to (i.e. whether to take up and debate) H.R. 22, the vehicle for the highway bill.
The Hill wrote yesterday, “The Obama administration was forced to play defense on Monday after lawmakers in both parties criticized its decision to let the United Nations — not Congress — have the first say on the Iran nuclear deal.
“The White House appeared to hope that the U.N. vote would build pressure on Congress to back the deal, but the strategy risked backfiring, with some Democrats scolding the administration for the decision.
“Rep. Eliot Engel (N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, joined panel Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) in a statement saying they were ‘disappointed’ that the U.N. Security Council voted ‘before Congress was able to fully review and act on this agreement.’ ‘Regardless of this morning's outcome, Congress will continue to play its role,’ they added. . . .
“Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican, called the U.N. action ‘an affront to the American people’ and accused the White House of ‘jamming this deal through’ without proper congressional scrutiny. . . .
“‘This is a bad start for a bad deal,’ said Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). Monday morning’s U.N. vote came just hours after the State Department formally sent the Iran deal to Congress to be reviewed. ‘Enabling such a consequential vote just 24 hours after submitting the agreement documents to Congress undermines our national security and violates the spirit of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act,’ Boehner said, referring to the law giving Congress 60 days to review and decide whether or not to condemn the deal.”
The Wall Street Journal editors expose the administration’s maneuvering in an editorial: “Democrats and Republicans have criticized this U.N. First gambit, and Secretary of State John Kerry claimed Sunday that it wasn’t deliberate. He said he and the President had really, truly wanted the U.N. to hold off until Congress completed its 60-day review as specified in U.S. law, but the other global parties simply couldn’t wait.
“‘It’s presumptuous of some people to suspect that France, Russia, China, Germany, Britain ought to do what the Congress tells them to do,’ Mr. Kerry lectured his former Capitol Hill colleagues on ABC’s “This Week.” Mr. Kerry added as a sort of consolation that his hard bargaining did get the U.N. to delay the provisions of Monday’s resolution from going into effect for 90 days.”
“Thanks for nothing, which is the real point,” the WSJ editors bristle. “Mr. Obama deliberately structured his Iran negotiations to make Congress a secondary party to the U.N. The Security Council vote means that the process of lifting international economic sanctions is now under way and the pact will roll forward. Mr. Kerry and supporters of the deal will also now argue that if Congress does reject the pact, the international coalition and sanctions regime can’t be reassembled.
“This has been Mr. Obama’s strategy all along—to present Congress with a political fait accompli. First he constructed the negotiation as an executive agreement, rather than as a treaty that would have required a two-thirds vote of approval in the Senate. Congress can still vote to disapprove the pact, but Mr. Obama has promised to veto that resolution and all he needs is one-third of either house to sustain the veto. And now the U.N. vote lets him assert that disapproval in Congress will pit America against the rest of the world outside the Middle East.”
Those closest to Iran certainly appear to be seeing things more clearly than other actors at the moment. According to AFP, “The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council on Monday protested at what it termed ‘contradictory’ signals coming from Iran since its nuclear accord struck with world powers last week.
“GCC chief Abdellatif Zayani said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was offering to turn a ‘new page’ with its Arab neighbours while its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had pledged to keep up support for Shiite opposition groups. . . .
“Khamenei, in a speech on Saturday, said Iran's agreement with world powers would not alter its support for the governments of Syria and Iraq nor its backing of ‘oppressed people’ in Yemen and Bahrain, and the Palestinians.
“The speech was contrary to ‘the principles of good neighbourliness’, charged Zayani, vowing that the Arab monarchies of the Gulf would ‘continue to defend their interests’. Majority Sunni Gulf countries have reacted with caution to the nuclear deal, believing it will only embolden Tehran's Shiite leaders.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of State John Kerry seemed to be a little surprised by Khamenei’s ongoing angry rhetoric. Reuters reports, “U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said a speech by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday vowing to defy American policies in the region despite a deal with world powers over Tehran's nuclear program was ‘very disturbing’.
“‘I don't know how to interpret it at this point in time, except to take it at face value, that that's his policy,’ he said in the interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television, parts of which the network quoted on Tuesday. ‘But I do know that often comments are made publicly and things can evolve that are different. If it is the policy, it's very disturbing, it's very troubling,’ he added.
“Ayatollah Khamenei told supporters on Saturday that U.S. policies in the region were ‘180 degrees’ opposed to Iran's, at a speech in a Tehran mosque punctuated by chants of ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’. ‘Even after this deal our policy toward the arrogant U.S. will not change,’ Khamenei said.”
This is, of course, precisely why it’s so troubling that Iran will be getting a windfall from frozen assets as soon as the sanctions are lifted. The regime in Tehran will then be free to turn around and spend that money on Hezbollah, Bashar Assad in Syria, and militant groups in Iraq, all of which Khamenei essentially promised to continue backing.
As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “Let’s not forget: Iran is pursuing a full-spectrum campaign to expand its sphere of influence and undermine America’s security and standing in the region. Iran’s continued support of terrorism and its determination to expand ballistic missile and conventional military capabilities should be gravely concerning to each of us. They are to me. They pose significant challenges to our country and President Obama’s successor. . . .
“A bad deal will only ensure Iran has more funding to threaten us with renewed vigor. It will only ensure that Iran expands its stockpile of missiles and that it strengthens terrorist proxies like Hezbollah, the Houthi insurgents in Yemen, and the Assad regime in Syria.”
Leader McConnell emphasized: “What we must decide now is whether this is really the right time to be reducing pressure on the world’s leading state sponsor of terror — and for what in return?”
Tags: Obama Admin, defensive, after Security Council, vote on Iran, John Kerry, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
 Flags at the US Capitol stand at half-staff today in honor of the 5 brave service members killed in Chattanooga, TN. |
The House reconvened at Noon. As Congress reconvenes today, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) ordered flags over the United States Capitol to be flown at half-staff to honor the five service members killed in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The Speaker then announced that the House is in recess until 2:00 P.M. today.
The House may consider the following bills today:
H.R. 2256 — "To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit an annual report on the Veterans Health Administration and the furnishing of hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care by the Department of Veterans Affairs."
H.R. 1557 — "To amend the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 to strengthen Federal antidiscrimination laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and expand accountability within the Federal government, and for other purposes."
The Senate reconvened at 10 AM today and began a period of morning business. At 4 PM, the Senate will vote on cloture on the motion to proceed to (i.e. whether to take up and debate) H.R. 22, the vehicle for the highway bill.
The Hill wrote yesterday, “The Obama administration was forced to play defense on Monday after lawmakers in both parties criticized its decision to let the United Nations — not Congress — have the first say on the Iran nuclear deal.
“The White House appeared to hope that the U.N. vote would build pressure on Congress to back the deal, but the strategy risked backfiring, with some Democrats scolding the administration for the decision.
“Rep. Eliot Engel (N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, joined panel Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) in a statement saying they were ‘disappointed’ that the U.N. Security Council voted ‘before Congress was able to fully review and act on this agreement.’ ‘Regardless of this morning's outcome, Congress will continue to play its role,’ they added. . . .
“Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican, called the U.N. action ‘an affront to the American people’ and accused the White House of ‘jamming this deal through’ without proper congressional scrutiny. . . .
“‘This is a bad start for a bad deal,’ said Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). Monday morning’s U.N. vote came just hours after the State Department formally sent the Iran deal to Congress to be reviewed. ‘Enabling such a consequential vote just 24 hours after submitting the agreement documents to Congress undermines our national security and violates the spirit of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act,’ Boehner said, referring to the law giving Congress 60 days to review and decide whether or not to condemn the deal.”
The Wall Street Journal editors expose the administration’s maneuvering in an editorial: “Democrats and Republicans have criticized this U.N. First gambit, and Secretary of State John Kerry claimed Sunday that it wasn’t deliberate. He said he and the President had really, truly wanted the U.N. to hold off until Congress completed its 60-day review as specified in U.S. law, but the other global parties simply couldn’t wait.
“‘It’s presumptuous of some people to suspect that France, Russia, China, Germany, Britain ought to do what the Congress tells them to do,’ Mr. Kerry lectured his former Capitol Hill colleagues on ABC’s “This Week.” Mr. Kerry added as a sort of consolation that his hard bargaining did get the U.N. to delay the provisions of Monday’s resolution from going into effect for 90 days.”
“Thanks for nothing, which is the real point,” the WSJ editors bristle. “Mr. Obama deliberately structured his Iran negotiations to make Congress a secondary party to the U.N. The Security Council vote means that the process of lifting international economic sanctions is now under way and the pact will roll forward. Mr. Kerry and supporters of the deal will also now argue that if Congress does reject the pact, the international coalition and sanctions regime can’t be reassembled.
“This has been Mr. Obama’s strategy all along—to present Congress with a political fait accompli. First he constructed the negotiation as an executive agreement, rather than as a treaty that would have required a two-thirds vote of approval in the Senate. Congress can still vote to disapprove the pact, but Mr. Obama has promised to veto that resolution and all he needs is one-third of either house to sustain the veto. And now the U.N. vote lets him assert that disapproval in Congress will pit America against the rest of the world outside the Middle East.”
Those closest to Iran certainly appear to be seeing things more clearly than other actors at the moment. According to AFP, “The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council on Monday protested at what it termed ‘contradictory’ signals coming from Iran since its nuclear accord struck with world powers last week.
“GCC chief Abdellatif Zayani said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was offering to turn a ‘new page’ with its Arab neighbours while its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had pledged to keep up support for Shiite opposition groups. . . .
“Khamenei, in a speech on Saturday, said Iran's agreement with world powers would not alter its support for the governments of Syria and Iraq nor its backing of ‘oppressed people’ in Yemen and Bahrain, and the Palestinians.
“The speech was contrary to ‘the principles of good neighbourliness’, charged Zayani, vowing that the Arab monarchies of the Gulf would ‘continue to defend their interests’. Majority Sunni Gulf countries have reacted with caution to the nuclear deal, believing it will only embolden Tehran's Shiite leaders.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of State John Kerry seemed to be a little surprised by Khamenei’s ongoing angry rhetoric. Reuters reports, “U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said a speech by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday vowing to defy American policies in the region despite a deal with world powers over Tehran's nuclear program was ‘very disturbing’.
“‘I don't know how to interpret it at this point in time, except to take it at face value, that that's his policy,’ he said in the interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television, parts of which the network quoted on Tuesday. ‘But I do know that often comments are made publicly and things can evolve that are different. If it is the policy, it's very disturbing, it's very troubling,’ he added.
“Ayatollah Khamenei told supporters on Saturday that U.S. policies in the region were ‘180 degrees’ opposed to Iran's, at a speech in a Tehran mosque punctuated by chants of ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’. ‘Even after this deal our policy toward the arrogant U.S. will not change,’ Khamenei said.”
This is, of course, precisely why it’s so troubling that Iran will be getting a windfall from frozen assets as soon as the sanctions are lifted. The regime in Tehran will then be free to turn around and spend that money on Hezbollah, Bashar Assad in Syria, and militant groups in Iraq, all of which Khamenei essentially promised to continue backing.
As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “Let’s not forget: Iran is pursuing a full-spectrum campaign to expand its sphere of influence and undermine America’s security and standing in the region. Iran’s continued support of terrorism and its determination to expand ballistic missile and conventional military capabilities should be gravely concerning to each of us. They are to me. They pose significant challenges to our country and President Obama’s successor. . . .
“A bad deal will only ensure Iran has more funding to threaten us with renewed vigor. It will only ensure that Iran expands its stockpile of missiles and that it strengthens terrorist proxies like Hezbollah, the Houthi insurgents in Yemen, and the Assad regime in Syria.”
Leader McConnell emphasized: “What we must decide now is whether this is really the right time to be reducing pressure on the world’s leading state sponsor of terror — and for what in return?”
Tags: Obama Admin, defensive, after Security Council, vote on Iran, John Kerry, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Posted by Bill Smith at 12:38 PM - Post Link
2 Comments:
Our Enemies within at it again as usual. This is outright TREASON. To negotiate with an enemy and have signed documents avoiding CONGRESS , even CHINA & RUSSIA. My GOD People.
A stockade for life for all involved.
God Bless this Leaderless MESS!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2015/07/22/iran-deal-at-risk-key-senators-demand-secret-annexes/
Ken, Thank you for providing this info!
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