Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a Republican resolution of disapproval of the Iran nuclear deal, making it unlikely that lawmakers will be able to kill off the agreement as many had hoped.
The procedural motion to move the measure to a final vote failed 58 to 42, just two votes short of the 60 needed to defeat the Democrats' filibuster and advance the bill, reported The Hill.
President Obama will now be spared from having to veto the legislation, however, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he might bring the measure back for another vote next week, but Democrats warned that the results would be the same, according to USA Today.
Obama lauded the outcome in a statement issued Thursday afternoon.
"This vote is a victory for diplomacy, for American national security, and for the safety and security of the world. I am heartened that so many senators judged this deal on the merits, and am gratified by the strong support of lawmakers and citizens alike," Obama said, according to CNN. "Going forward, we will turn to the critical work of implementing and verifying this deal so that Iran cannot pursue a nuclear weapon, while pursuing a foreign policy that leaves our country - and the world - a safer place."
Per legislation passed by Congress in May, unless both the Senate and House are somehow able to pass a resolution of disapproval by Sept. 17, the deal will take effect.
Shortly after the Senate vote, the House passed a non-binding measure on a straight party vote stating that the Obama administration failed to comply with a requirement to provide Congress with all documents related to the agreement, referring to "side deals" that were inked in secret and withheld from Congress. The side deals govern aspects of possible nuclear sites like the Parchin complex. The House resolution, which passed 245-186, could pave the way for future legal challenges against the administration to stop the deal from being fully implemented, according to USA Today.
The Iran deal - reached between the U.S., U.K., China, Russia, France and Germany, and Iran - would lift international economic sanctions against Tehran in exchange for the country agreeing not to develop nuclear weapons for at least a decade.
The House will take up a measure on Friday that would suspend the ability of the president to lift the sanctions until Jan. 21, 2017, after Obama has left office. The House will also vote on Friday on a resolution to approve the nuclear agreement.
