More than two-thirds of all House Republicans have signed onto a resolution disapproving of the Iran nuclear agreement, language that is likely to get a vote in early September after members spend weeks pouring over the deal.
The resolution from Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., has the potential to block the deal that most Republicans oppose, but only if it can pass the House and Senate, and then if both chambers can override an expected veto from President Obama.
Roskam's resolution was introduced Thursday with 171 House Republican cosponsors, and was expected to be supported by nearly every House Republican once it gets a vote. No Democrats are on the bill.
The resolution argued that Iran has been trying since the 1980s to acquire a nuclear weapon, and that the United Nations has adopted several resolutions demanding Iran lower its ambition in this area.
It also argued that "Secretary of State John Kerry has publicly stated that the United States does not recognize Iran's self-proclaimed right to enrich uranium," and says the Iran nuclear deal fails in several areas to rein in Iran.
But the final deal announced this week "fails to require Iran to fully dismantle its nuclear program" and allows "key restraints on Iran's nuclear program to expire within 10 to 15 years," according to Roskam's resolution.
The deal also allows international sanctions on conventional and ballistic missiles to be lifted, and doesn't address Iran's broader terrorist activities.
"[T]he Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action fails to address Iran's egregious human rights record, Iran's role as the world's leading state-sponsor of international terrorism and Iran's unjust imprisonment of innocent United States citizens," the resolution said.
The measure ended by saying the House "expresses its firm disapproval" of the deal, and "reaffirms its commitment to prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapons capability."
