Congress begins 60-day review of nuclear deal with Iran

The international nuclear agreement with Iran arrived in Washington on Monday for a 60-day congressional review, and the deal has already sparked heated debate among lawmakers.

Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama announced a formalized deal with the Islamic nation after nearly two years of negotiations. The agreement with Iran, involving five other nations, will go into effect in 90 days, but still needs congressional approval.

Vice President Joe Biden visited Capitol Hill twice last week to rally Democrats to the president’s side. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one the fiercest critics of the agreement, said over the weekend the deal is a mistake of “historic proportions.”

Secretary of State John Kerry and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will brief Congress this week in hopes of garnering support. To counter that, lawmakers will hear loud objections from Netanyahu and Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer.

“I feel it's my obligation as the prime minister of Israel to speak out against something that endangers the survival of my country, the security of the region, the security of the world. And I obviously make my case,” said Netanyahu, who already addressed a joint session of Congress earlier this year about the nuclear negotiations.

But America’s relationship with its other allies will fracture if Congress votes down the deal, Kerry said this weekend on Face the Nation.

“We will be viewed as having killed the opportunity to stop [Iran] from having weapons,” he warned.

Some lawmakers, however, may already feel disenfranchised by the Obama administration.

A bipartisan letter from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged the president to stop the United Nations Security Council from voting on the deal until after the congressional review period. A similar letter from the Chairmen of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee also warned the president to delay the UN vote. But earlier today, the 15-member body of the UN Security Council unanimously endorsed the nuclear deal.

While GOP members already have voiced concerns about the deal, some Democrats also will have a hard time sharing the Obama administration's enthusiasm. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., represents more than 1.5 million Jewish people in his state. During the past six years, groups supporting Israel have given Schumer $259,000 in contributions.

Schumer, likely the next Democratic leader in the Senate, will be a focus as he balances relationships on both sides.

After the 60-day review is up, Congress can vote to accept or reject the deal—or do nothing. If lawmakers reject the deal, Obama can still use his veto power. Congress needs a two-thirds majority in each house to override the president. But Obama only needs one-third of one of the houses to stand with him.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter traveled to Tel Aviv on Monday for the first Cabinet-level visit to Israel since the deal was announced last week. Although he meets with Netanyahu tomorrow, Carter said he has no plans to coax Israeli leaders out of opposition to the nuclear deal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.