Negotiators Press for Deal, Senate Readies Spoiler

Rollercoaster talks - Negotiators may need until the end of March to close technical gaps and finalize the political agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, Al-Monitor reports. http://bit.ly/19zIRXk

--U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Secretary of State John Kerry are working with their Iranian counterparts to resolve the technical details that will be included in the framework deal. An Iranian official said 90 percent of the remaining hurdles have been resolved, but officials on both sides emphasized that no breakthrough has been reached yet. Reuters has the latest from Switzerland. http://reut.rs/1MJWbq3

All hands on deck - “The White House is moving aggressively to limit Democratic defections on Capitol Hill that could undermine its negotiations with Iran, dispatching senior officials and President Barack Obama himself to lobby senators against taking action before a nuclear deal is reached,” Manu Raju and Burgess Everett report for POLITICO.

--“Senior administration officials have asked Senate Democrats to notify the White House if they are considering signing onto a bill drafted by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) that would give Congress the ability to accept or reject any nuclear deal… With virtually all 54 Republicans expected to back the bill, and 11 Senate Democratic Caucus members signaling their support, the White House has little margin for error in heading off a veto-proof majority.” http://politi.co/1GTRvdl

Lessons - “Just as was the case with Obamacare, whether one supported the legislation or not, once an agreement [with Iran] is reached trying to unwind it could cause the equivalent of a death spiral,” writes writes Ilan Goldenberg in POLITICO Magazine. “In the case of the Affordable Care Act this would involve massive and unpredictable chaos in the health insurance markets. In the case of an Iran agreement the consequences could be even graver.” http://politi.co/1BPzRGR

Tehran politics - As the self imposed deadline to reach a nuclear agreement grows near and support for the negotiation grows, “opponents of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani are attacking on a second front,” writes Kambiz Foroohar for Bloomberg.

--Attacking Rouhani head on has become increasingly risky, due to the backing he has received from the Supreme Leader. Instead, hardliners have begun “targeting Rouhani’s allies” in an attempt to shape opinion in their favor ahead of next year’s elections for parliament and the powerful Assembly of Experts. Full story here. http://bloom.bg/1DAA6c1

Tweet - @rethink_media : Something America agrees on: Public opinion & newspaper coverage support diplomacy with #Iran. #IranTalks http://bit.ly/1F3wobw

Stockpile plans - Yesterday the NNSA released the FY 2016 Stockpile and Stewardship Management Program report. The controversial and extremely costly “3+2” program, the NNSA’s plan to modify and extend the life of warheads in the nuclear arsenal remains on the books. Full report here (pdf). http://1.usa.gov/1O66RRt

You’re fired - The Navy has fired a commander of a small unit that's essential to helping run the U.S. nuclear mission, POLITICO Pro reports (paywall). http://politico.pro/1xcyLGz

Back to the future - “The language of the Cold War has returned with a vengeance, with renewed talk of nuclear alerts, alleged testing of medium-range nuclear missiles and worries about NATO’s defense umbrella,” writes Washington Post’s David Ignatius. The familiar refrain highlights the need to revitalize arms control efforts. http://wapo.st/1F3hBxx

Unsustainable - “The U.S. Defense Department has launched a major review of missile defense programs and capabilities, after military commanders called the current strategy ‘unsustainable’ given tough budget pressures and rising threats around the world,” Reuters reports. http://reut.rs/1AZTQ23

Quick Hits:

--“Europe stepping up its game on Iran,” by Ellie Geranmayeh for The European Council on Foreign Relations. http://bit.ly/1DxxLhZ

--“In Iran Nuclear Talks, Two MIT-Connected Physicists Play Key Roles,” by Jay Solomon in The Wall Street Journal. http://on.wsj.com/1AE9OPT

--“Rubio: 'Absolutely' willing to defy European allies on Iran,” by Julie Pace for AP. http://yhoo.it/1GXfw3l

--“Closing in on nuclear deal, U.S. demands 'tough choices' from Iran,” by Parisa Hafezi and Lesley Wroughton for Reuters http://reut.rs/1EqVBr5

--“Russia to send new missiles to Baltic exclave on maneuvers,” by Vladimir Isachenkov for AP. http://yhoo.it/1HZzmvU

Events:

--Senate Armed Services Committee, hearing on “Postures of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force.” With Gen. Raymond Odierno, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; Mark Welsh, Chief of Staff, Air Force; Deborah Lee James, Air Force Secretary; and John McHugh, Army Secretary. March 18 at 2:30 PM. Located in room SD-106, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC. Webcast on the committee website. http://1.usa.gov/1AjlKFQ

--Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, hearing on the Energy Department budget. With Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. March 18, time TBA, Room TBA, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington. Webcast on the committee website. http://1.usa.gov/1itSTpx

--House Committee on Foreign Affairs, hearing on: “Negotiations with Iran: Blocking or Paving Tehran’s Path to Nuclear Weapons?” With Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Acting Under Secretary of the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Adam J. Szubin. March 19 from 8:30AM to 11:30AM. Located in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC. Webcast on the committee website http://1.usa.gov/1GMva4X

--Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland, hearing on Air Force Force Structure and Modernization. With William LaPlante, Air Force Assistant Secretary for Acquisition; Lt. Gen. Tod Wolters, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations; and Lt. Gen. James Holmes, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements. March 19 at 2:30 PM. Located in room S 222, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC. Webcast on committee website. http://1.usa.gov/1Muu2kZ

--Briefing and Report Release: “Naval Nuclear Reactors and Use of Highly Enriched Uranium.” Hosted by the Federation of American Scientists. Featuring Dr. Charles D. Ferguson, President, FAS, Dr. Alireza Haghighat, Professor Virginia Tech Transport Theory Group (VT3G), Nuclear Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL) and Dr. Alan Kuperman, Associate Professor, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin. March 20, 2015 from 11:45 a.m.-1:45 PM. Located in Room 385 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC. RSVP to rsvp@fas.org or 202-454-4694 by Wednesday, March 18, 2015.

--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://appropriations.house.gov/