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Senate Dems Give Obama Backing to Avoid Veto Showdown over Iran

Forty-one Senate Democrats have announced that they support the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by six world powers and Iran.
Image: US Capitol is seen at sunset in Washington
The United States Capitol is seen at sunset in Washington November 11, 2014. The Capitol dome is currently under scaffolding for repairs. REUTERS/Gary Cameron (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT POLITICS SOCIETY) - RTR4DSDR© Gary Cameron / Reuters / Reuters

Forty-one Senate Democrats have announced that they support the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by six world powers and Iran, potentially avoiding what could have been a bitter veto showdown between Congress and the White House.

On Tuesday, three Democrats – Gary Peters of Michigan, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Ron Wyden of Oregon – announced their support of the deal, giving the party sufficient support to block consideration of a Resolution of Disapproval that the president’s Republican foes hoped to bring to the Senate floor this month.

President Barack Obama had threatened to veto the resolution if it passed the Senate. By last week, 34 Senate lawmakers had announced their backing of the Iran deal, ensuring that the president’s veto could not be overridden. But with the new flood of support from within his party in recent days, Obama could perhaps have no need to employ his veto pen at all.

Four Democrats have said they are not supporting the deal – Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. No Republicans so far are backing the agreement, which was negotiated by Tehran and world powers in Vienna earlier this year.

Here is what we know about where senators stand on the deal:

Support (Total: 42)

Oppose (Total: 43)

Undecided/Unannounced (Total:15)

  • Thad Cochran, R-MS
  • Mike Crapo, R-ID
  • Mike Enzi, R-WY
  • Deb Fischer, R-NE
  • Cory Gardner, R-CO
  • Chuck Grassley, R-IA
  • Dean Heller, R-NV
  • John Hoeven, R-ND
  • Ron Johnson, R-WI
  • Mike Lee, R-UT
  • Shelly Moore Capito, R-WV
  • Lisa Murkowski, R-AK
  • Pat Roberts, R-KS
  • Mike Rounds, R-SD
  • Jeff Sessions, R-AL