|
 "Another heavy dose of sanctions would be an appropriate remedy if
there's no agreement at all," McConnell told a weekly news briefing.
If there is an agreement, he said lawmakers would move ahead on a
bill that would require President Barack Obama to submit the deal
for Congress' approval.
Obama has threatened to veto both bills.
Democrats in the Senate pushed to delay both measures until at least
mid-April to give negotiations more breathing room. The United
States and five other world powers suspended talks with Iran in
Switzerland on Friday and will reconvene this week to try to break a
deadlock over Tehran's atomic research program.
 Separately, Republican Senator Mark Kirk, a co-author of the
sanctions bill, told reporters on Tuesday he would introduce
legislation recommending new sanctions on Iran as an amendment to a
budget resolution now being considered by the Senate.
There was no immediate word on when or if that amendment might come
up for a vote.
The White House says any effort to ratchet up sanctions could
endanger the delicate negotiations on an agreement in which Iran
would curb its nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling
economic sanctions.
[to top of second column] |
But many members of Congress, particularly Republicans, worry that
Obama is so eager for an agreement with Iran that the administration
will give up too much in the talks.
The White House has said the other bill impinges on Obama's
authority by forcing him to obtain congressional approval for an
agreement that it insists is not a treaty. Administration officials
also contend that the legislation would prevent a deal from
succeeding because it contains a provision that would temporarily
remove Obama's ability to waive sanctions.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Lisa Lambert and Susan Cornwell;
Editing by Christian Plumb)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
