When "Yes" Means "No"

A U.S. senator or a representative wishing to support President Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran will vote “no” when the legislation comes before the Congress.

Similarly, a lawmaker opposed will vote “yes.”

That is why Obama probably will have a chance to veto the bill that passes, even though passage means a majority of those in Congress oppose the presidential agreement joined in by other countries and already approved by the United Nations.

In effect, a vote for S. 615 is a vote to reject the agreement. Its title is the “Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015.” The key is “review.” By its nature, a review bill in Congress is a proposal of rejection. That was confirmed by a person answering the phone in the office of Sen. Bob Corker, Tennessee Republican, who introduced the bill.

A non-expert reading the Senate bill would be hard pressed to figure out the reverse English on the congressional cue ball. It reads just like the agreement is fine with our government’s legislative branch. In actuality it sets forth actions the president and his departments must take to make sure that Iran is fulfilling an agreement’s terms, terms which the Congress demands, such as strict verification.

Reading a summary of the senate bill prepared by a nonpartisan congressional research service supplies no additional clarification for the meaning of opposing votes.

Remember criticism of members of Congress who did not read the thousands of pages in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act? There were summaries and there were staff members paid to find out what was in Obamacare.

Fact is bills and resolutions can be difficult to read, especially without some legal training. Even a one-line bill striking out the section number of an existing law can be far reaching with intended and unintended consequences.

Some senators opposed to the Iran agreement bill but supportive of the president are reported to be in favor of protecting the congressional prerogatives. It will be difficult to know that merely from their no votes.

Good citizenship can be burdensome.