WASHINGTON (AP) – With Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid now on board, President Barack Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran seems to be picking up the momentum it needs to survive fierce opposition from its Republican and Israeli opponents.
Reid on Sunday became the 27th and most powerful Senate Democrat to throw his support behind the president and the Iran nuclear deal, which could open the door for some of his non-committed colleagues to come aboard.
“I strongly support the historic agreement and will do everything in my power to ensure that it stands,” said Reid, D-Nev., in a news release.
It will take 34 votes in the Senate to stop Congress from scuttling the deal, and having Reid on the president’s side will make it difficult for opponents to muster the needed support in the Senate from Democrats. In the Senate, only two Democrats – Schumer and Robert Menendez of New Jersey – have announced opposition to the deal.
Instead, a steady stream of Democrats have recently backed the deal, and Reid’s support will provide an opportunity for others to jump on board. The announcement also comes before Obama heads to Nevada.