“The president wants Congress to ensure that our negotiators have the time and space that they need to reach an agreement by the end of June,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Kerry will be accompanied by US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and a representative from the US intelligence community.
Some Democrats are lining up with Republicans and could form a veto-proof majority to support the bill, which President Barack Obama says would undermine the delicate final stage of negotiations ahead of a self-imposed June 30 deadline.
The backing by some lawmakers in Obama’s party illustrates the depth of concern in Washington over a possible nuclear-armed Iran and the sense of many members of Congress that they are being shut out of the process to contain it.
Kerry’s task this week is to persuade Congress to give him the time to negotiate a comprehensive agreement as well as, if possible, to temper a bill put forward by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker.
Under Corker’s bill Congress would have 60 days to review the agreement, during which the Obama administration would be barred from giving Iran most sanctions relief and members could vote on whether to approve or reject sanctions measures. On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to debate amendments and vote on whether to send the legislation for consideration by the full Senate.
Lawmakers have introduced about 50 amendments to the bill, with Democrats mostly trying to give negotiators more breathing room and Republicans trying to make the bill so restrictive that some supporters say it could be impossible to reach a deal.
One Democratic amendment would shorten the time given Congress to review the deal to 30 days from 60. Another would eliminate a provision of the legislation requiring the White House to certify that Iran has not supported or carried out an act of terrorism against the United States or any US person.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who announced his US presidential candidacy on Monday, has proposed an amendment requiring the Obama administration to certify that Iran has accepted Israel’s right to exist. Another Republican-sponsored amendment would require the agreement to be a treaty, which would require the approval of two-thirds of the Senate.
It was not immediately clear which amendments would be allowed to come up for a vote in the Senate committee. Earnest reiterated Obama would veto the bill as written.
Earnest said many Republicans may not be open to Kerry’s argument “because they’re not considering the facts, they’re considering the politics.” He added: “There are some Democrats who will listen to this pitch. I don’t know if it will convince them all.”
Obama on Monday planned to pitch the deal in a private meeting with top American Jewish leaders, who the White House would welcome also contacting lawmakers, Earnest said. Close US ally Israel strongly opposes the deal, fearing it could open the way to Iran securing a nuclear bomb.
The April 2 framework nuclear deal that Iran struck with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States seeks to limit the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. Tehran maintains its program is for peaceful purposes.
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