GOP caucus infighting stymies House vote on Iran deal

Representative Peter Roskam of Illinois, the leader of the Republican conservative rebels, said the Obama administration had not provided all the required information about the deal. Opponents of the deal insist it includes “secret side deals” about nuclear inspections, side deals which have not been revealed either to the public or to lawmakers.

“He hasn’t complied with the law,” Roskam told reporters as he left a closed-door Republican meeting. “So [the Iran review act] isn’t triggered because he’s not disclosed what’s required under the law.”

The White House dismissed this claim. “If Congress does not vote, this agreement goes into effect. It’s as simple as that,” spokesman Eric Schultz said.

Members of the Republican rebel factions said they would sue the Obama administration over the Iran deal, arguing that the White House violated the review act by not providing the required documents abiut any side deals.

The Post notes that the fight over the Iran votes is only one of a series of confrontations between the more conservative members of the caucus and the House Republican leaders. Some conservative members want to replace the Republican House Speaker, John Boehner, accusing him of being too willing to work with the Democrats.

The House maneuvers are largely academic in any event. Republicans in the Senate said they would go ahead debating the resolution of disapproval, hoping to vote this week (vote on a cloture motion, that is, not on the resolution of disapproval).

“As I understand the law … we have to act before 17 September, which is next week, or the deal goes forward,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters.

Senate Republicans say that the House GOP infighting weakens the deal’s critics. It is true that even if the Democrats agree to bring to vote on a resolution of disapproval to the floor of the Senate, and the measure passes, Obama will veto it and his veto will be sustained. A disapproval resolution, however, must be passed by both the Senate and House to get to Obama’s desk. If the House GOP factions cannot find a compromise, then the effort by Senate Republicans to have a vote on a resolution of disapproval will be for naught.

Boehner loyalists fought back, saying Wednesday that there was little point in delaying the planned Friday vote on the House floor.

“It will be perceived by the American people that we abdicated,” said Representative Peter King (R-New York).

“I think we have an obligation to be heard on this, to vote on it. . . . Otherwise the average person is just going to think we’re afraid.”

King told the Post he doubted the side deals would make any difference in the outcome of the Iran debate: “I understand the point they’re trying to make, but it’s not going to change anyone’s vote.”