US Congressman Slams Democratic Senators for Backing Iran Nuclear Deal

Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin from New York has accused Senator Barbara Mikulski from Maryland and other Democrats for choosing party loyalty over US national security in backing the Iran nuclear agreement.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin from New York has accused Senator Barbara Mikulski and other Democrats for choosing party loyalty over US national security in backing the Iran nuclear agreement.

Mikulski’s announcement on Wednesday that she would support the agreement gave President Barack Obama the 34 votes needed to block any attempt in the US Senate to over-ride his veto and enable the deal to go into effect.

"Unfortunately, there are members of Congress choosing party loyalty over national security," Zeldin said in his statement released on Wednesday. "Quite honestly, none of them should be re-elected."

Zeldin is co-chairman of the House Republican Israel Caucus, which currently has more than 100 members, and is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The agreement, Zeldin said, is "a bad deal for America," and represents "capitulation to the Iranian leadership."

He argued that time will prove the Iran nuclear deal should have never been signed in the first place.

In a new bid to delay the deal, Zeldin claimed that the 60-day Congressional review period would not begin until Congress received the entire agreement, which had to include the still confidential side deals Iran had signed with the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA).

"No vote should happen before the entire agreement is submitted to Congress," he said.

The agreement is expected to be submitted to Congress before September 17.