Since the early days of the Republic, foreign policy has been considered to be the domain of the executive branch of our government. The Constitution named the president as Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, provided him with the power to make treaties with other nations (with the concurrence of two thirds of the Senate), to nominate Ambassadors to foreign countries (with the advice and consent of the Senate), and to receive Ambassadors and other public ministers. Though the Senate has a role to play in supporting or rejecting presidential appointments and actions, the initiatives must originate from the president or his administration.
Congress is vested by the Constitution with the ability to declare war and raise revenue to support the military. However, the president is the one who generally starts the process by requesting that Congress declare war, rather than having it arise spontaneously in the legislative branch of the government.
The ability of the executive branch to set the nation’s foreign policy is currently being challenged in the Senate by a bipartisan cabal of Republicans and Democrats. The particular issue is our policy towards Iran. With the election of Hassan Rouhani as President of Iran last year, it seemed that a more moderate administration was in place and the demonization of America and the West would be reduced, providing some possible diplomatic openings. The Iranian economy has been devastated by the tough sanctions put in place by the U.S. and other nations because of Iran’s nuclear program and the apparent desire to develop a nuclear weapon. Rouhani has appeared open to a new approach to solve the nuclear problem through negotiations approved by Ayatollah Khomani.
Recent negotiations with the U.S, Britain, France, German, Russia and China have moved the Iranian government to temporarily halt their nuclear program and their ability to develop a nuclear weapon. Because of this agreement, some of the sanctions on Iran have been lifted, aiding their economy and possibly helping advance a permanent cessation. Iranian compliance has been confirmed by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency. This temporary stoppage gives the negotiators time to try and establish a permanent halt to the Iranian nuclear program in return for lifting all the sanctions.
This agreement between Iran and the other nations is a big step forward towards a peaceful solution. However, Israel and some US nuclear experts have been wary of cheating on Iran’s part. Because of lobbying by Israel and its supporters and the questions raised by these nuclear skeptics, the Senate has been working on the Nuclear Weapon-Free Iran Act of 2013, which would harden sanctions on Iran if an adequate permanent agreement is not reached.
The president has not asked for this bill and indeed has threatened to veto it if it is passed. He is concerned that the Iranians might leave the negotiating table if the legislation is enacted and that the legislation could possibly kill chances of reaching a deal. The bill contains provisions that arms control experts do not believe are attainable and are probably not necessary to control Iran from manufacturing nuclear weapons. The Act also has a provision that commits the US to offer support to Israel if it proceeded to strike Iranian nuclear facilities in “legitimate self-defense,” militarily if necessary.
The Senate should allow President Obama and the administration the leeway to negotiate a permanent nuclear agreement with Iran before passing a bill that might throw a monkey wrench into the negotiations. Foreign policy must remain in the hands of the executive branch with the Senate advising and consenting when called for. One hundred senators should not be trying to conduct foreign policy for the nation and lobbyists for Israel should not be directing provisions of legislation in this area.
Resurrecting Democracy
www.robertlevinebooks.com
Political junkie, Vietnam vet, neurologist- three books on aging and dementia. Book on health care reform in 2009- Shock Therapy for the American Health Care System. Book on the need for a centrist third party- Resurrecting Democracy- A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party published in 2011. Aging Wisely, published in August 2014 by Rowman and Littlefield. Latest book- The Uninformed Voter published May 2020