Usually a reliable supporter of the Obama administration, Sen. Charles Schumer has found himself caught in the middle of the ongoing battle between the White House and Republicans in Congress who are supporting legislation to require a vote on a final Iran agreement.
He has not further elaborated on his stance, which reflects the "very difficult position" in which he finds himself, says former American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), official Steven J. Rosen.
"There are so many cross-pressures," he
tells The New York Times. "This is a very major controversy. Everybody will be watching, of course. It's a test for him."
Schumer placed himself in the line of fire on Monday when he came out in support for legislation sponsored by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker mandating the president to submit text of the Iran agreement to Congress and prohibiting the suspension of congressional sanctions for 60 days.
"This is a very serious issue that deserves careful consideration, and I expect to have a classified briefing in the near future. I strongly believe Congress should have the right to disapprove any agreement and I support the Corker bill which would allow that to occur," Schumer said in an
emailed statement to Politico.
The position taken by the New York Democrat, a longtime advocate for Israel representing a state with a large Jewish population, ran counter to the White House press secretary
Josh Earnest's contention that demands for a congressional vote were coming from only Republicans, who were doing so "because they oppose the deal in the first place" and were "trying to use this vote as cover to try to undermine the agreement."
Earnest was forced to acknowledge, however, that shortly before the press briefing, Schumer said he believed Congress has the "right to disapprove" of any bill and, therefore, would support Corker's bill.
Schumer is trying to find a balance between giving the administration enough breathing room for a compromise while allowing himself space to oppose a final deal should he find details of the final accord unpalatable.
According to the Times, Schumer has been moving to put out some of the fires being set by partisans in the White House, telling Secretary of State John Kerry at a private dinner that criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "unhelpful."
But the pressure from both sides is heavy on Schumer.
"As future minority leader in the senate he must show complete loyalty to the party. To vote against the president's veto would be considered blasphemous and would probably ruin his chances of eventually being elected minority leader. It is his conscience and the support of his constituents and community leaders to encourage him to take this momentous step to protect the future of the planet that is needed. He is now a big, dangerous question mark," said an
editorial in The Jewish Voice.
Schumer's commitment to ensuring Congress has a voice on the Iran agreement is shared by Maryland Democrat Sen. Ben Cardin.
"The final agreement must be verifiable and transparent, making it clear that any violations would result in an immediate restoration of the strongest possible sanctions. Congress has a role to play in this process and I look forward to reviewing all the details of this long-sought agreement that Secretary of State John Kerry and our allies have negotiated,"
Cardin said in a statement.
Schumer, Cardin, and the handful of Democrats who have either endorsed or are open to Corker's legislation are facing pressures from the left.
The liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org blasted Schumer for his support of Corker's bill.
"Supporting reckless legislation that undermines President Obama's diplomacy with Iran and risks a dangerous, unnecessary war in the Middle East should disqualify anyone from leading the Senate Democratic caucus," Ilya Sheyman, the group's executive director, said in a statement,
according to The Hill.
"Democrats want to be loyal to the president, but on the other hand, they have to be loyal to their constituents — and many of them have constituents who are deeply skeptical of an Iran deal," John Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College in California,
told Bloomberg News.
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