During a tense phone call with White House chief of staff Denis McDonough in early March, Sen. Chuck Schumer delivered a blunt message: He would join a growing chorus of senators defying the wishes of President Barack Obama by demanding that Congress have an official say over any nuclear deal with Iran.

But in a nod to the president, Schumer later made clear that he would give administration officials more time to negotiate a nuclear pact before pushing forward with a congressional review bill.


The conversations underscored the unusually conflicted — yet increasingly influential — role Schumer is playing as the Iran talks approach a critical juncture. The New York Democrat was already among a handful of senators with the power to undermine or even scuttle a nuclear agreement. Then on Friday, he became the Democratic leader-in-waiting following Sen. Harry Reid’s retirement announcement.

Now senators on both sides of the aisle will be watching Schumer — closely — to see how he responds to any deal.

As a leading pro-Israel voice among Senate Democrats, Schumer is at odds with the White House on Iran, yet he also needs to maintain good relations with Obama. He has to balance his own views on the negotiations with those of a Senate Democratic Caucus that is, by and large, eager to avoid conflict with Iran and stand with the president. Further complicating the matter is a home-state constituency with very strong feelings about Israel and the threat posed to it by Iran.

“It’s obvious that he has a very real, pro-Israel constituency,” said Sen. John McCain, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman and a friend of Schumer’s. “Yet at the same time, he has loyalty to the president. So he has to balance those.”

Indeed, the Iran deal is a key early test for the New Yorker as he works to solidify his standing as Reid’s heir apparent. Schumer has long been reluctant to take assertive positions when his caucus is divided. But the prominent Jewish Democrat — he will be the first person of his faith to serve as a Senate party leader — may have to if a deal is clinched and faces a backlash from the powerful pro-Israel lobby.

Schumer is widely seen as a barometer of whether the White House will have enough support on Capitol Hill to sustain a veto on a bill by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) requiring that Congress review any Iran agreement. The view is that if Schumer pushes hard for the Corker-Menendez plan, it will almost certainly clear the 67 votes needed to override a veto, since having him publicly call for the proposal gives other Democrats the political cover to break with Obama on the issue.

Adding to his role is the likelihood that Menendez will be indicted soon on federal corruption charges, potentially sidelining him in the debate. The New Jersey senator is the other leading Democratic hawk defending Israel.

“Schumer has played a pretty pivotal role in making sure we keep our unity in the Senate,” said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. “He’s been very clear as to what his position is. On the other hand, he’s been able to help us get through the stage of negotiations we’re in, to deal with the administration and to be sensitive to the negotiations.”

Schumer — who believes the Iran legislation is a “backstop” to prevent a bad deal from being enacted — declined to be interviewed for this story.

Even as some Democrats have been eager to break ranks with the White House, Schumer has helped keep restive Senate Democrats at bay. He helped spearhead letters with Menendez saying his party would hold off on backing new legislative action — such as the congressional review bill or new sanctions on Iran — until after the March 31 negotiating deadline set by Obama.

In caucus meetings with Senate Democrats, Schumer has largely avoided talking about the Iran negotiations. He has expressed some skepticism of the details of the talks in private discussions with fellow Democratic leaders and has had sharp words for some members of the Obama administration about their dealings with Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

At a private dinner earlier this year with other senators, Schumer told Secretary of State John Kerry “even if you think Netanyahu has been wrong, poking Israel back in the eye doesn’t help,” according to a source familiar with the comments. He has also conveyed that message to McDonough, the person said.

And in a private call to Netanyahu before his recent speech to Congress on Iran, Schumer warned the prime minister against inflaming partisan tensions and raised concerns about the fact that the foreign leader spoke without the White House’s consent.

However, Schumer attended the Netanyahu speech, even as dozens of his Democratic colleagues boycotted it.

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said Schumer is “in a tough spot” on Iran.

“New York is the mother ship of the American Jewish community,” said Kirk, a lead sponsor of another bill to impose new sanctions on Iran.

Schumer is also close with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the powerful pro-Israel lobby that has raised serious concerns about the emerging deal with Iran and six world powers, including the United States.

If the White House reaches an agreement with Iran, it is bound to face pressure in Congress when the Senate returns from a two-week recess in mid-April. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has scheduled an April 14 committee vote on the Corker-Menendez bill, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plans to bring it to the floor soon after that. The measure, which would require congressional review of the Iran deal, would also prohibit the president from suspending congressional sanctions on Iran for 60 days while Congress scrutinizes the agreement. It would also require that Obama report to Congress on Iran’s compliance with the deal every three months.

The White House says the bill is an unacceptable infringement on the president’s role as commander in chief.

“This is a purview that’s been part of the executive branch for decades and the president retains the authority to conduct foreign policy,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said Monday.

Despite the White House’s position, Schumer officially signed on to the Corker-Menendez bill on Thursday, when the Senate was engaged in a lengthy voting session over the budget. It is very close to gaining enough support to surmount a veto. The issue is causing tension between Schumer and White House officials, who are communicating frequently about the matter.

One person familiar with the early March phone call between Schumer and McDonough said the conversation was “very, very heated.” A White House official disagreed with that characterization but declined further comment.

“He is certainly a hawk [on Israel], that has not changed,” said a person close to Schumer. “But he is trying to keep an open line of communication with the administration. He’s trying to let them know what’s going on. There’s certainly been some very tense moments in that part of the process. He’s trying to be firm but open with them.”