Senate leaders are expected this week to end debate on the Iran bill in a bid to stop any chance for senators to derail the bipartisan agreement with controversial amendments before it reaches the floor.
According to
Politico, the move would stop amendments by Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio which were threatening to push Democrats away.
"I would like to have seen more amendments. But in light of the circumstances, that route is now unfortunately over," Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee Sen. Bob Corker said, according to Politico.
Cotton on Thursday tried to force a vote on his amendment that would require Iran to disclose the history of its nuclear program and close all of its nuclear facilities, while
Rubio's amendment was pushing to force Iran to recognize Israel as a state.
A vote on the full bill is expected to be scheduled this week with broad bipartisan support after weeks of work led by Corker. The leadership has been keen to prevent controversial amendments from derailing progress, particularly after the White House agreed not to oppose the bill.
"My sense is we're going to move toward successful passage," Corker told Politico.
"There are between 70 and 80 members who are very pleased for this process to be over, and they want to pass this bill," Maryland Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told Politico. "It's not just Democrats."
McConnell has yet to formally confirm whether a decision had been made to cut off debate, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say the time has come to move the bill forward, while it is understood that McConnell is eager to move other items on the agenda.
"It was a classic case where the members should be heard," one Republican senator said of the Iran bill, according to Politico. But now, "there may be a point where you have to figure out how to end that opportunity."
McConnell on Thursday met with Rubio, Cotton, and also Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who had been pushing his own controversial amendment. When Cruz emerged from the meeting he refused to say whether he would support a vote ending debate on the legislation, Politico reported.
"Leadership will have to decide how to proceed," Cruz said, blaming Democrats for blocking his vote.
Cruz's amendment would require a majority from both houses of Congress for passage of the Iran bill. Another would insist that the deal be handled as a treaty and require 67 senators for ratification,
The Hill reported.
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