The US Senate voted 98-1 Thursday to approve legislation allowing Congress to review a nuclear deal with Iran.
The Senate bill would require a competed deal to be submitted to Congress, which could then vote to approve or disapprove the nuclear deal within 30 days. Sanctions on Iran could not be lifted during this period.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the only senator to oppose the bill, said in a statement that he objected to the fact that the deal would not be presented to the Congress as a treaty.
“A nuclear-arms agreement with any adversary—especially the terror-sponsoring, Islamist Iranian regime—should be submitted as a treaty and obtain a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate as required by the Constitution,” he said.
A vote to disapprove a nuclear deal with Iran would not necessarily kill it. President Obama could veto such a measure, and the House and Senate would then need two-thirds majorities to override his veto.
“I am deeply disappointed by the direction this debate has taken,” said Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla), who had wanted to debate an amendment that would force Iran to recognize Israel. That debate was averted through procedural means.