Obama
says will sign bill allowing Congress to review Iran deal
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[April 18, 2015]
By Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President
Barack Obama said on Friday a bill allowing Congress to review a deal
concerning Iran's nuclear program was a "reasonable compromise" he
planned to sign, and he expressed confidence it would not derail talks
with Tehran.
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Obama told a White House news conference that Senate Foreign
Relations Committee Chairman Senator Bob Corker and the panel's
leading Democrat, Ben Cardin, had agreed they would protect the bill
from "poison pills" amendments that would be tilted toward trying to
kill an agreement with Iran.
Since the White House said on Tuesday that Obama would sign the
bill, it has sought to reassure anxious negotiating partners. Talks
are aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief
from sanctions. [ID:nL5N0XC1BK]
"The final product that emerged out of the Corker-Cardin
negotiations, we believe, will not derail the negotiations," Obama
said. "Assuming that what lands on my desk is what Senators Corker
and Cardin agreed to, I will sign it."
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Apr/18/images/ads/current/remington_daily_sda_022614.png) After initially opposing congressional intervention, Obama conceded
that lawmakers would have the power to review an agreement with Iran
after Republicans and Democrats crafted a rare compromise measure.
The White House had been concerned that the bill would undermine
efforts to reach a final pact with Iran by the end of June. A
framework deal was reached on April 2.
Iran and the United States differ on how fast sanctions would be
lifted if they reached an agreement. Iran wants immediate relief and
the White House insists sanctions must be gradually lifted.
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Obama played down the differences, saying, "Our main concern here is
making sure that if Iran doesn't abide by its agreement, that we
don't have to jump through a whole bunch of hoops in order to
reinstate sanctions."
Regarding Russian plans to deliver missile-defense systems to Iran,
which it had put on hold after a request from the United States,
Obama said, "I'm not surprised, given some of the deterioration in
the relationship between Russia and the United States, and the fact
that their economy is under strain and this was a substantial sale."
(Additional reporting Julia Edwards and Susan Heavey; Editing by
Toni Reinhold)
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