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DNC co-chair James Zogby. (AP/Stephen J. Boitano)
Apparently in order to prevent public controversy, the American Democratic National Committee chair reportedly blocked a party resolution backing the Iran nuclear deal.
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz reportedly prevented a discussion on a resolution praising President Barack Obama on his nuclear agreement with Iran during the party’s summer session in Washington, the Washington Post reports.
Quoting “knowledgeable Democrats,” the Post reports that the resolution was meant to put the DNC on record in support of the agreement as Congress prepares to vote on the issue next month.
In an attempt to minimize embarrassment to the party, James Zogby, co-chair of the Resolutions Committee, led a move to prepare a letter of support for the president and the Iran agreement that eventually gained signatures from a sizable majority of the members of the national committee. Zogby said Saturday that this effort produced a satisfactory outcome.
“We wanted to show support for the president,” he told the Post. “We found that the best way to show support was a letter that members would sign on to, and the overwhelming majority of DNC members signed onto the letter. This is the President Obama we elected in 2008 who said, ‘I choose diplomacy over conflict,’ and he did it.”
A party spokeswoman cited “procedural issues” that prevented the proposed resolution from being considered and did not directly address Wasserman Schultz’s role in the decision-making. Other Democrats said that it was the congresswoman’s direct opposition that blocked its consideration.
Obama is battling vigorously to garner support for the nuclear accord both in Congress and publicly. Wasserman Schultz, a Florida representative, has so far remained silent on how she will vote on the deal in September.
Some Democrats on the national committee were critical of Wasserman Schultz, saying that as DNC chair she owed her allegiance in this instance to the president, regardless of her own local or political opinions.
Public consideration of the resolution at the DNC meeting, however, could have prompted a contentious public debate within the party just as the president is looking to consolidate Democrats behind the agreement, the Post explains, as not all Democrats support the deal.
“We recognize that there are some who in good faith have expressed reservations with elements of the JCPOA [Iran deal], but we believe that you and key members of your administration have effectively and respectfully responded to these concerns. We, therefore, join you [President Obama] in supporting the JCPOA as the best way forward to secure our nation, our allies and world peace,” the DNC-authored letter of support states.
By: United with Israel Staff
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