Senator Chuck Schumer of New York is the highest-ranking Democrat to oppose President Obama’s executive agreement with Iran over the Islamic republic’s nuclear program. But during the Senate Democratic leadership’s final press conference prior to a vote on the deal, Schumer didn’t say anything about it. Instead, he chose to attack Republicans.
“Everywhere Republican leaders look this fall, there’s potential disaster lurking thanks to their hard right members determined to hold the government hostage unless they get everything they want,” Schumer said on Wednesday, referring to budget negotiations.
Forty-two Senate Democrats successfully blocked a bill to disapprove of Obama’s deal with Iran on Thursday. Schumer was one of four Senate Democrats to support the motion of disapproval, but he greeted failure with something of a shrug and even praised Obama’s “strong achievements in combating and containing Iran.”
“Regardless of how one feels about the agreement,” Schumer said, according to the New York Times, “fair-minded Americans should acknowledge the president’s strong achievements in combating and containing Iran.”
“I also have a great deal of respect for the careful thought and deliberation my colleagues went through,” Schumer added. “I recognize for them, that this is a vote of conscience just as it is for me.”
When he announced his opposition to the Iran deal in August, Schumer said he opposed it because he feared Iran would “use the agreement to pursue its nefarious goals.” Liberal activists and Obama allies quickly denounced Schumer, and he did little to rally opposition to the deal. Schumer plans to become the leader of the Senate Democrats after Harry Reid retires in a little over a year.
