Ex-Defense Official: Iran Bill Turns Constitution Upside-Down

The Corker-Menendez bill, which would require congressional approval of any U.S.-Iran nuclear deal, actually goes against the Constitution, former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Jed Babbin told Fox News on Monday.

Appearing on Fox News Channel's "Your World with Neil Cavuto," Babbin noted that the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote to ratify a treaty. The Corker-Menendez bill would require a two-thirds vote to stop an agreement made by the White House from being implemented.

"The Corker bill stands the Constitution on its head," Babbin said.

Republicans argue that the deal being worked out between Iran and the P5+1 powers is actually a treaty, though President Barack Obama says it is not. Obama had threatened to veto any action by Congress to thwart the deal, but Republicans in the Senate found enough Democrats to sign on last week to effectively override a veto, forcing Obama to say he would sign the bill as written.

Paul Mirengoff, writing on the Powerline blog, made the same argument as Babbin, saying that Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker's "hope is that the need to prevent a veto override will induce the president to take a tougher bargaining position with Iran."

But, Mirengoff argues, "when push comes to shove, Obama will be confident that, with a few cosmetic improvements, he can line up enough Democratic support to meet the low thresholds necessary to sustain a veto."

Related Stories:

• Defense Expert: Diplomacy Has Never Changed Iran's Behavior
• Republicans on Iran Bill: Obama 'Blinked' After Veto Override Threat