Washington, September 3 (RHC)-- The U.S. House of Representatives will vote next week to either approve or disapprove of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, announced on Wednesday that the chamber will vote on the July 14th nuclear accord as it returns from the August vacation next week.
Iran and the P5+1 group of countries -- the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany -- announced the conclusion of nuclear negotiations in the Austrian capital, Vienna. Under the agreement, Iran will be recognized by the United Nations as a nuclear power and will continue its uranium enrichment program, but some restrictions will be placed on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the removal of sanctions.
Republicans, who control both houses of Congress, almost unanimously oppose the agreement because they claim it gives too many concessions to Iran and threatens the security of Israel.
"With a clear majority of Congress and the American people lining up in opposition to this deal, the House will not approve this deal. This is a bad deal for our country and for our allies," McCarthy said in a statement.
Political analysts do not believe there will be enough votes to override U.S. President Barack Obama's veto of a congressional resolution against the deal.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, also told fellow Democrats on Wednesday that she was confident they could get the votes needed to sustain President Barack Obama's veto.
"By the end of this week, well over 100 House Democrats will have made their support for the agreement public. With these public statements and private commitments, I am certain that we will uphold the president's veto," Pelosi wrote in a letter to House Democrats.
Obama has said he is confident that the nuclear accord will go forward despite opposition from congressional Republicans.
On Wednesday, momentum shifted in favor of the nuclear accord, with Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski becoming the 32nd Senate Democrat, along with two independents, to announce that she would support the deal.
Democrats need 34 votes in the Senate, or 146 in the House of Representatives, to sustain the veto President Obama has promised. Mikulski's announcement means Democrats will now have enough votes to protect the nuclear agreement in Congress.
