Sen. Ben Cardin becomes third Democrat to oppose Iran nuclear pact

Reporting from Washington — Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Friday became the third Democrat to come out against the Iran nuclear pact, landing a blow to President Obama’s efforts to prevent passage of a congressional resolution of disapproval.

“The [deal] legitimizes Iran’s nuclear program,” he said. “The [deal] would provide this legal path to a country that remains a rogue state and has violated its international nonproliferation obligations for years.”

The lawmaker was seen as a key vote due to his prominent position and his background and leadership in Baltimore’s Jewish community. On Tuesday evening, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee held a rally at Cardin’s synagogue urging him to vote no.

The senator joins fellow Democrats Chuck Schumer of New York and Robert Menendez of New Jersey in opposing the deal.

At the same time, Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado announced Friday that he would back the nuclear deal.

“Our primary objectives are to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon, make sure Israel is safe and, if possible, avoid another war in the Middle East,” he said. Though he sees the agreement as flawed, Bennet called it a necessary step.

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Bennett’s announcement means that Obama needs only three more senators to support the deal to prevent the resolution of disapproval from coming to a Senate vote.

Currently, 38 Democratic senators have announced their support of the Iran nuclear deal, while no Republicans have.

Twitter: @tomanmiller.

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