47 Republican senators signed an open letter to Iran about their negotiations with President Obama. The letter warned Iran that "the next president could revoke any deal with a stroke of a pen," and the general purpose of the letter was to try to get Congress involved in this foreign policy discussion.
The letter was drafted by Republican Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas.
Today, Obama and many Democratic politicians publicly expressed their outrage with the letter, some calling it "an attempt to undermine the authority of the commander in chief."
However, as the article mentions, this debate is not really unique to the debate about nuclear weapons in Iran. This really just revived the old debate about what role Congress should have in foreign affairs.
So how do you think the government should approach this issue?
Should this just be between the leaders of the countries involved, or should Congress have a say in what happens?
Do you consider this letter to be treason, as some democratic leaders have said, or is it simply just the G.O.P trying to have a say with regards to this issue?
3 comments:
I understand that Republican Senators are opposed to the US-Iran nuclear talks on a strong ideological basis. But this letter doesn't come at just the expense of the president; it comes at the expense of the whole country's reputation on the world stage. Many Obama critics have found him to be a "weak-willed" president, especially in terms of foreign policy, but this is just an act that further undermines his authority and causes chaos with no real objective. The tone of the letter is straight up condescending; it ends with, "We hope this letter enriches your knowledge of our constitutional system and promotes mutual understanding and clarity as nuclear negotiations progress." The Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, was educated in America and has a PhD in International Law and Policy; I don't think he needs to be briefed on the basics of American governmental structure. I'm shocked that nearly half of the Senate, most of them experienced politicians, would think that sending out this letter was a good idea, and while Democrats have been the most vocal in their outrage, many Republicans have expressed their disappointment in their Senators as well.
I certainly do not begrudge the Republicans or their right to voice their opinions on what they believe to be the right course of action when it comes to foreign policy. However, I do disagree with the actions they have taken, not only because it can be construed as completely disrespectful, but also because as Valerie has mentioned, it undermines our country as a whole. Future presidents will act as they will, but the crude wording and implication that no treaty or agreement made now will hold makes the country look divided in a possibly detrimental way. It is one thing to speak up and express dissent about domestic issues, it is another altogether when these issues involve another country and a tenuous treaty.
Post a Comment