Daniel Maibenco, Columnist
For the past several months, the U.S. and Iran have been in closed-door meetings. While it is not a secret that the Obama administration wants to make a legacy by carving a “true peace” with Iran and lifting sanctions, allowing them to have a legitimate nuclear program, questions still remain.
No one knows what to truly expect. Secretary of State John Kerry and the President will not elaborate with any details about their vision of a nuclear deal with Iran. Tensions are even higher now that the President and his supporters bashed Israeli leader Netanyahu for his visit to Congress earlier this month.
As time goes on, it looks like it will continue to get worse. I thought that by now, everyone in Congress, as well as the President, could reach some sort of consensus on whether to sanction Iran again or to lift any current sanctions.
If one or both sides of this debate refuse to compromise or listen to warning, this deal will be a mistake of monumental consequences.
Now, this is where things get interesting.
It is rumored that Obama, to guarantee the passing of the nuclear deal, will not let Congress ratify this international agreement. Instead, it is feared that his administration will go directly to the U.N. Security Council, lifting all sanctions against Iran and subsequently passing the nuclear agreement.
In response to these rumors, Senator Lindsey Graham has threatened to cut all U.S. funding to the U.N. if the U.N. Security Council lifts all sanctions against Iran before the U.S. Congress is consulted.
I think Senator Graham definitely means what he says here.
Senator Graham heads the congressional committee that controls U.S. funding to the U.N. Obama drew a red line for the chemical attacks in Syria but did nothing. I think the senator would honor this promise (if that time ever came).
Senator Graham’s ultimatum is not the most important issue here. I believe that the most pressing issue is how Obama may directly break the laws of the constitution to get what he wants.
No president in U.S. history has ever done or even contemplated such an act. Even for declarations of war, the U.S. Congress has to vote on it. Esteemed Presidents FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Reagan would never have tried to undermine the Congress.
Even if Obama goes through with this provocative act, does he think he can actually get away with it? For example: Don’t you think that if President Bush were to have made a declaration of war against another nation without Congressional consent, he would have been thrown out of office.
If Obama does circumvent Congress for lifting the Iran sanctions, he may not be thrown out office, but he greatly hurts his party, especially for the 2016 elections.
Even when trying to make sense out of all of this, I still cannot. This proposed nuclear deal with Iran is causing nothing but trouble. If Iran does get an improved nuclear program, I believe we’re looking at a Middle Eastern nuclear arms race.
Doesn’t Obama realize that Iran was sanctioned for a reason? This is a country that has stated many times that they want to destroy Israel. They also want to topple the West and usher in a new era of power and influence. The sanctions against this country date back to the 80’s, and the original congressional vote was unanimous.
While I may not agree with the proposition for a nuclear deal, I am willing to hear other opinions. Obama is not. He needs to remember that no Congressman or the President is above the law and the constitution.
All proposed deals with any nation should have clear Congressional approval. Senator Graham would not have had to issue an ultimatum if the President would just listen to the concerns of his colleagues on Capitol Hill rather than ignore them.