Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) is now the fifth, out of nine, Jewish Democratic senators to endorse the nuclear deal with Iran, reported the Jewish Telegraph Agency. There has been much contention among Jewish senators regarding the agreement due to the fact that Israel does not support it.
“Many have expressed reservations about the deal, and I share some of those reservations,” wrote Franken in an op-ed. “It isn’t a perfect agreement. But it is a strong one. This agreement is, in my opinion, the most effective, realistic way to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon anytime in the next 15 years.”
Currently, 18 senators, who all caucus with the Democratic party, support the Iran nuclear deal. The Republican-controlled senate will certainly favor a bill designed to halt the accord. However, the president only needs 40 senators to block any attempt to kill the deal. Franken also noted that global leaders should keep note of the deal’s 15-year expiration date.
“We also must begin to make the case to the world that the danger posed by an Iranian nuclear weapon will not expire in 15 years – and remind Iran that, should it begin to take worrisome steps, such as making highly-enriched uranium as that date approaches, we stand ready to intervene.”
Unlike Franken, Jewish Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has chosen to oppose the Iran deal. As a result, Schumer has lost $8.3 million in support from anti-war advocates. This affects not only himself, but like-minded senators as well. Thankfully, Franken didn’t go along with such a hawkish decision.
