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Sen. Carper "leaning yes" on Iran nuclear deal

Delaware Public Media

Sen. Tom Carper  (D-Delaware) says he may join the ranks of those committing to vote for President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran.

“I’m doing my homework, doing my due diligence. I’m leaning yes, but I’m going to hold off until I actually finish reading the deal over the next week or so and I have a couple phone calls I want to make to other people who have been involved in this and help make the decision,” Carper told Delaware Public Media late last week.

Carper says he’s assessing whether or not the U.S. can adequately enforce aspects of the deal that would keep Iran from developing a weapon of mass destruction. 

“The question for me is this: can we enforce the deal? If the Iranians decide to cheat, to do things that’s untoward or inappropriate, will we catch them? Are we good enough to catch them at that?” said Carper.

He expects to complete that assessment and have his decision "within two weeks."

Delaware's junior senator, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, isn’t so keen on the plan, likening it to a potential marriage based on distrust.

Last week, prominent New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said he’ll vote against the deal, joining nearly all Republicans.

 

Under the agreement, Iran would reduce the amount of centrifuges enriching uranium and refine them to less concentrated levels.

 

The U.S. and other countries would lift then crippling economic sanctions, with Iran submitting to international inspections.

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