Will Bob Casey Kill the Iran Nuclear Deal?

U.S. Senator Bob Casey, January 2014. | AP Photo

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey may be one of the votes standing between the Obama Administration and a deal with Iran to put its nuclear program into deep-freeze.

Foreign Policy says Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, is one of the likeliest “no” votes on the deal, and summarizes the case thusly: 

The Pennsylvania lawmaker introduced the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act, which authorized the divestment of public pension money from firms doing business in Iran’s oil and natural gas sector, and he co-sponsored the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, which expanded economic sanctions against Tehran. Casey has made one public statement on the deal since it was struck: “I will be conducting a thorough review of the agreement to evaluate whether it protects our national security interests.”

Even without Casey’s support, the deal seems likely to go through. Vox explains the unusual math on the deal: “If opponents want to block the sanctions relief that’s crucial to the agreement, they need to assemble a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate that can overcome a promised presidential veto. And that’s impossible to reach without a lot of Democratic votes.” Democrats reportedly already have 25 votes in favor of the deal.