Iran Letter: Article II Of U.S. Constitution Cited By 47 Senators To Note Limits Of Obama’s Power
The Iran letter from 47 Republicans was authored to inform the leaders of Iran about the constitutional system of government in the United States. The 47 Republican Senators who signed the letter informed Iranian leaders that any nuclear deal with the Middle East nation required Congressional approval in order to last beyond President Barack Obama’s soon-to-end term in the Oval Office.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was angered by Joe Biden’s comments about the Iran letter and is calling on the vice president to apologize, particularly to Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton. Vice President Biden said the letter which merely detailed the process by which the U.S. government functions, offended him as a “matter of principle” and was “beneath the dignity of an institution I revere.”
The Iran letter points to Article II Section II Clause II of the United States Constitution to illustrate the limits of the power or a president to enter into a treaty:
“He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law: but the Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments.”
Joe Biden went on to denounce the Iran letter signed by 47 Senators by saying, “In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which senators wrote directly to advise another country, much less a longtime foreign adversary, that the president does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them.”
Senator Tom Cotton and 46 of his peers which were elected to protect the United States and relay the wishes of their respective constituents, told the Iranian leaders in Tehran without approval by Congress, any nuclear weapons deal would be a “mere executive agreement” between Obama and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “We hope this letter enriches your knowledge of our constitutional system and promotes mutual understanding and clarity as nuclear negotiations progress,” the Iran letter said.
The hashtags #Iranletter and #47traitors referencing the missive from GOP Senators has gone viral on Twitter. Opponents to the 47 traitor hashtags have deemed those who do not grasp the educational nature of the letter “low information voters” that are quite simply unfamiliar with the Constitution and the balance of power designed by the Founding Fathers.
Earlier today, Governor Bobby Jindal published a series of tweets lambasting Joe Biden’s comments about the Iran letter and blasted the vice president’s response to the letter that Cotton and 46 other Republican senators sent to the Iranian government. Jindal, who is also a potential 2016 Republican candidate for president, said he supports the letter that the freshman Arkansas senator wrote.
“He wore the boots in Iraq. He’s earned our attention, not your insults,” A Bobby Jindal tweet directed at Vice President Joe Biden said.
.@BarackObama‘s obsession to cut a deal with Iran, regardless of the cost, is the reason we are where we are today.
— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) March 10, 2015
Make no mistake – any Iran deal that President Obama makes is not binding on a future president.
— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) March 10, 2015
Anyone thinking of running for Prez, on both sides, should sign on to the letter to make clear that Iran is negotiating w/ lame duck Prez.
— Gov. Bobby Jindal (@BobbyJindal) March 10, 2015
[Image via: Shutterstock]
