Congress Holds Back Iran Bill, Giving Diplomacy Time

Reprieve - Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) have agreed to hold off on their Iran legislation until the week of April 14. The delay of the bill, which requires congressional review of an Iran deal and could undermine the talks, means more time to finalize a framework agreement.

--The bill was unlikely to reach the floor before the April recess, so the senators decision may have more to do with keeping their voting bloc intact. But the practical result is two more weeks, and a little more breathing room, for nuclear negotiators and the administration. Burgess Everett for POLITICO. http://politi.co/1FH0vV6

Talks update - Iran and the six world powers are set to suspend negotiations and reconvene later next week, Reuters reports.

--“We made very good progress,” Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif told reporters. "We have reached a very crucial point in the talks, there are one or two critical issues and for the other issues still one or two points remain to be resolved.” http://reut.rs/1ExFSqa

Tweet - @KelseyDav: Much discussion of remaining gaps at the #IranTalks - but let's not forget the incredible progress made to date on reaching a deal.

Consequences - “War must be a last resort. Sugarcoating its consequences does no one any favors,” writes Hans Binnendijk in The Washington Post in response to a recent op-ed arguing “war is the only way to stop Iran.”

--Iranian retaliation against strikes on its nuclear program “could mean yet another U.S. ground war in the Middle East, this time against a nation of more than 80 million. As we learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, the costs of such a conflict could be measured in decades, tens of thousands of U.S. casualties and trillions of dollars… The diplomatic and political consequences could also be severe.” http://wapo.st/1OdD7lT

Congress’s role - “The emerging agreement with Iran would be a major boost for U.S. and international security, for Israel and our other friends in the region, and for global efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons,” write Daryl Kimball and Greg Thielmann in the Virginia Pilot. “[Congress] should strengthen, not undermine, this vital diplomatic effort.”

--“Congress will play a critical role on sanctions later on,” in removing sanctions in exchange for nuclear concessions. “But the [Corker] bill could very well blow up the nuclear deal just weeks after it is concluded and give Iran an excuse to resume its nuclear pursuits.” http://bit.ly/1MUiNCq

Tweet - @Cirncione: My interview on @edshow last night. On the table: the #IranTalks. http://ow.ly/KAEgM

Letter - 360 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Obama on the Iran nuclear deal. The letter stops short of supporting Senate legislation allowing 60 days for congressional review of a deal, but says more vaguely, “we are prepared to evaluate any agreement to determine its long-term impact on the United States and our allies.”

--On sanctions relief, the lawmakers write, “Should an agreement with Iran be reached, permanent sanctions relief from congressionally-mandated sanctions would require new legislation… In reviewing such an agreement, Congress must be convinced that its terms foreclose any pathway to a bomb, and only then will Congress be able to consider permanent sanctions relief.” The Hill reports. http://bit.ly/1MRfQma

Safety concerns - “In an attempt to keep Pakistan’s nuclear programme safe, certain employees – who could not clear the Personnel Reliability Programme (PRB) – were dismissed,” reports The Express Tribune. http://bit.ly/1bif6uH

Sanctions pushback - Obama administration officials told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday that if a nuclear deal is made with Iran, lawmakers should leave congressionally imposed sanctions in place for years.

--“We will need to see verified steps on Iran's part before sanctions are lifted and we believe that powerful U.S. legislative sanctions should not be terminated for years to come so that we continue to retain important leverage years into a deal." Transcript and video from the hearing available here. http://1.usa.gov/1GMva4X

Nuclear security woes - Eight years ago, raiders broke into a South African nuclear complex holding enough explosives to fuel six nuclear bombs. The intruders failed to make off with any nuclear material, but were never caught. U.S. officials argue that security vulnerabilities remain, and more needs to be done to secure the site, but international politics are slowing down nuclear security efforts. Douglas Birch and R. Jeffrey Smith of The Center for Public Integrity have the full story. http://bit.ly/1bjWCda

Nowruz Mubarak - “This moment may not come again soon. I believe that our nations have an historic opportunity to resolve this issue peacefully—an opportunity we should not miss,” said President Obama in his Nowruz message. “A nuclear deal now can help open the door to a brighter future for you—the Iranian people, who, as heirs to a great civilization, have so much to give to the world.” Transcript and video: http://1.usa.gov/1FKmGdc

Quick Hits:

--“Nuclear Workers Deserve Better from Bechtel,” by Joanne Doroshow in The Huffington Post. http://huff.to/1FdBSAr

--“EU foreign policy chief joins Iran nuclear talks,” by Al Jazeera and AFP. http://bit.ly/1FMIZOZ

--“Exclusive: Iran wants limits on nuclear work eased before any deal expires,” by Reuters. http://reut.rs/1FJjnmx

--“Environmental groups take control of Hanford nuclear meetings,” in the Portland Business Journal. http://bit.ly/1LA4Oq1

Events:

--Commission to Review the Effectiveness of the National Energy Laboratories, public meeting. March 24 from 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM. Located at the Hilton at Mark Center, Laurel Conference Room, 5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA. RSVP required. http://1.usa.gov/1MNE7JW

--House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water. Hearing on the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Nuclear Nonproliferation and Naval Reactors budgets. With Frank Klotz, Administrator, NNSA; Anne Harrington, Deputy Administrator for
Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, NNSA; and Adm. John Richardson, Director, Naval Reactors. March 25 at 9:30 AM. Located in 2362-B Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC. Webcast on the committee website. http://1.usa.gov/1ptJEtv

--“Deal or no deal? Negotiating with Iran.” Featuring Robert Einhorn, Senior Fellow, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative of Brookings, William Galston, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies of Brookings and Suzanne Maloney, Senior Fellow, Center for Middle East Policy of Brookings. April 1 from 10:00AM – 11:30 AM. Located at The Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 2003. http://brook.gs/1x8WE1a