Iran Letter Weakens of Obama’s Executive Agreement

Tom Cotton Defends the 47 Republican Senators

Cotton Controversies

Tweets, jokes, defenses and attacks are flying left and right about the 47 Republican Senators who wrote an open letter to The Islamic Republic of Iran yesterday to “enrich… knowledge of our constitutional system.”In short, the now infamous “Iran Letter” didactically explains the U.S. political system as one in which presidential power means very little without Congressional support, essentially declaring President Obama’s agreement about the Iranian nuclear-weapons program to be meaningless and temporary.“We will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei,” the letter warns. “The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time.”Many have declared that this letter borders treason and social media has exploded with condemnations of the 47 Senators who signed the letter in support. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, who is responsible for drafting the letter, spoke with CNN this morning to clarify his motivation.“Iran’s leaders need to understand that under our Constitution, Congress plays a critical role in approving international agreements. If Congress does not approve an agreement, the agreement will not necessarily have lasting effect. Future Congresses, or for that matter, a future president, can change them. The deal that is emerging would allow Iran to develop a path toward a nuclear weapon, and that’s not acceptable.”In response to a question about whether the letter was really intended to undermine the President, Cotton repeats adamantly: “No, this letter is about stopping Iran from getting a nuclear deal.”Do you buy it?Senator Tom Cotton is not new to controversy. An Army veteran, Cotton has had a strong stance on the Middle East since his the campaign trail in 2014. Here’s a quick throwback to his 2014 ad that caused controversy for its use of ISIS film footage.