Sen. Chuck Schumer broke with most of his party Thursday evening by announcing his opposition to the nuclear agreement with Iran.
“[A]fter deep study, careful thought and considerable soul-searching, I have decided I must oppose the agreement and will vote yes on a motion of disapproval,” the New York Democrat wrote in a Medium post that was published as the GOP presidential candidates turned to the issue during the debate Thursday.
Although Schumer expressed concerns about the deal in recent days, the announcement marked the first time he staked out a position against the agreement.
The move by Schumer, who is set to lead his party in the Senate after Minority Leader Harry Reid retires after the next election, likely will slow the momentum of support for the deal.
“In making my decision, I examined this deal in three parts: nuclear restrictions on Iran in the first ten years, nuclear restrictions on Iran after ten years, and non-nuclear components and consequences of a deal,” Schumer said before ticking through a list of reasons why each of those three parts of the deal were inadequate.
Support for the deal so far has split largely along party lines, with several Democrats reportedly undecided on how they will vote next month.
While several congressional Democrats have emerged as proponents of the deal, those who are against it have been more vocal about their opposition.
All 17 of the Republican primary candidates have pointed to the nuclear agreement as an example of President Obama’s failed foreign policy initiatives.
