White House denies plan to work around Congress on Iran deal

President Obama has the authority to suspend tough sanctions against Iran in the event that the two nations reach a nuclear accord in coming weeks — and does not need approval from Congress — the administration calculated, according to the New York Times.

The White House on Monday disputed the portrayal of its Iran strategy.

“When and how congressional action will be needed to suspend and or lift the sanctions, and whether we believe they should take up an up or down vote on the deal, the notion that we are trying to avoid congressional consultation and input on this is preposterous,” said White House spokesman Eric Schultz. “This is an issue where we talk to Congress intensively. We will continue to consult with Congress heavily.”

However, the White House did not dismiss the idea that Obama possesses the authority to unilaterally suspend sanctions — a move that Republicans contend would have disastrous results.

“It’s way too early to speculate on which sanctions will require legislative versus executive action to suspend or lift,” Schultz said. “So I’m not going to get ahead of that from here, today, while the negotiations are ongoing.”

But he added, “If we do get a comprehensive arrangement, it is absolutely true that the sanctions regime we have in place cannot be undone without congressional action.”

The debate, however, is whether Obama would temporarily suspend sanctions without seeking a vote from Congress.

Republicans have called on the Obama administration to heighten sanctions on Iran, not limit them, as the two nations struggle to reach agreement on a deal to curtail Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Obama, whose approval ratings on foreign affairs have nosedived recently, has framed an Iran deal as a centerpiece of his second-term agenda. However, the talks have been repeatedly delayed and observers have doubts about whether both parties will ever get the negotiations across the finish line.