Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) announced Wednesday that she would back President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran – becoming the 34th vote in the Senate in favor of the agreement and ensuring that the accord will be protected from attempts to kill it in Congress.
“No deal is perfect, especially one negotiated with the Iranian regime,” Mikulski said. “I have concluded that this Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the best option available to block Iran from having a nuclear bomb. For these reasons, I will vote in favor of this deal. However, Congress must also reaffirm our commitment to the safety and security of Israel.”
Democrats have rallied around the deal since leaving town in August, giving Obama to the 34 senators he needs to back the agreement and uphold a potential veto of a resolution of disapproval.
Republicans have argued that the Obama administration could force Iran back to the negotiating table, but Mikulski said on Wednesday that the two alternatives to the deal were either more sanctions against Iran or military action.
“Maintaining or stepping up sanctions will only work if the sanction coalition holds together. It’s unclear if the European Union, Russia, China, India and others would continue sanctions if Congress rejects this deal. At best, sanctions would be porous, or limited to unilateral sanctions by the U.S.,” she said, adding that the “military option is always on the table for the United States.”
Mikulski who will be retiring at the end of her term is known to be a woman who speaks her mind and pushover when it comes to issues she cares about.
This now assures that President Obama has the votes needed to keep Congress from overriding any veto he may need to use. The deal which is very controversial will now move forward despite heavy opposition in Congress and from Israel,
 announced Wednesday that she would back President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran - becoming the 34th vote in the Senate in favor of the agreement){kind=link}