In an exclusive reported by the Washington Post’s Paul Kane this afternoon, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) has announced he will join Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and lend his support to the Iran deal, bringing the Democrats’ vote total to 33, just one vote short of the 34 needed to uphold a veto of the Republican-drafted resolution to block portions of the agreement.
Coons: “I will support this agreement and vote against any measures to disapprove it in Congress."
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) September 1, 2015
President Obama is one senator away from clinching the Iran deal. http://t.co/wAA3oLoCyN pic.twitter.com/WMDMCZIuTC
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) September 1, 2015
Exclusive: Sen. Coons is yes on Iran deal, joining Casey. Obama now has 33 Dem ayes, needs 1 more to claim win. http://t.co/f4cN7jJDQF
— Paul Kane (@pkcapitol) September 1, 2015
Coons made clear AIPAC-led TV ads had little effect, but close friends' opposition weighed heavily on Iran vote.http://t.co/f4cN7jJDQF
— Paul Kane (@pkcapitol) September 1, 2015
Euro diplomat told Coons: "We will be alongside you all the way."
Reject the deal, he said: "You go it alone."http://t.co/f4cN7jJDQF— Paul Kane (@pkcapitol) September 1, 2015
1 more Senate Dem in favor of Iran deal would block any veto override effort. 67 needed to override. 34 would sustain veto. Now at 33.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) September 1, 2015
Jerusalem Post correspondent Herb Keinon writes that Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told the Post today that “unless the deal … is submitted to Congress as a treaty and ratified by two-thirds of both chambers, it could be modified by the next U.S. president, or this or any other Congress,” a point that Cotton and 46 other Republican senators made to Iranian leadership earlier this year in an open letter.
So…. In his own way, I think Cotton is helping whip Dems to yes on #Iran deal https://t.co/mgIpx3hsah
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) September 1, 2015
This may wrap up today. As far as 34 is concerned. Another skeptic, Senator Chris Coons is out in support of #IranDeal too. 33 Yays.
— Bahman Kalbasi (@BahmanKalbasi) September 1, 2015
Give the White House credit: They have been VERY effective in rallying Dems for the Iran deal. http://t.co/emlc3nkzg8
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) September 1, 2015
Well, President Obama did take three Democrats from whom he needed support on a “rare golf outing,” and took three senators and 17 House members with him (all Democrats but one) along on his trip to Africa.
This is really interesting re: 2016 politics: Coons said it was BIDEN who convinced him to support deal. http://t.co/qcurANh2oD
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) September 1, 2015
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Related:
NYDN cover labels GOP senators as ‘TRAITORS’ for open letter to Iran
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