Essay

“I got up and pretended to study the pictures on the walls like I was a lover of religious art. When I got to the Merciful Mother right above Sinita’s head, I reached in my pocket and pulled out the bottom I’d found on the train. It was sparkly like a diamond and had a little hole in back so you could thread a ribbon through it and wear it like a romantic lady’s choker necklace. It wasn’t something I’d do, but I could see the button would make a good trade with someone inclined in that direction.

Today, Supreme Court Nominee’s, Neil Gorsuch, Confirmation hearing came near conclusion on a very confrontational note with the Senate’s Principal Democrat threatening to filibuster. This would complicate the way the senate “conducts its business”. The Republicans eager to confirm Gorsuch only have a 52-majority instead of the 60-majority that is necessary. However, they say he will be confirmed anyway, even if it means removing the filibuster option and allowing nominees to be confirmed with a simple majority vote. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer’s decision to filibuster was not unexpected but it will increase tension in the senate. “If this nominee cannot earn 60 votes — a bar met by each of President Obama’s nominees, and George Bush’s last two nominees — the answer isn’t to change the rules. It’s to change the nominee,” he said. Although the democrats do not have the votes to block this motion, his filibuster will publicize the resistance in the Congress.

In 2013, the thought of using filibusters to an advantage of a political party’s side in a legislative assembly was removed; therefore, it now takes a majority vote to decide on all Supreme Court nominees and executive appointments. The majority vote is being identified as the “nuclear option”. The ruling of filibuster was voted to be removed by the U.S. Senate, due to the fact that Democrats believed that Republicans unfairly abused filibuster in attempt to veto a nominee by the president (Richardson). Now that a president of the Republican party is in position, the tables have turned. Nevertheless, as the Republican party holds 52 senate seats, Democrats only holding 46, Republicans have the ability to virtually shut down the minority and

Now is the time to use the power of American diplomacy to pressure Iran to stop their illicit nuclear program, support for terrorism, and threats toward Israel. Obama and Biden will offer the Iranian regime a choice. If Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, we will offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization, economic investments, and a move toward normal diplomatic relations. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, we will step up our economic pressure and political isolation. In carrying out this diplomacy, we will coordinate closely with our allies and proceed with careful preparation. Seeking this kind of comprehensive settlement with Iran is our best way to make

The filibuster, a result of following Vice President Aaron Burr’s request to clean up the Senate’s rule book in 1805, once used to hold procedure by Senators to allow them time to arrive and debate or vote on legislation has been hijacked by minority Republicans into indefinite vetoes of legislation and administration nominations. While scarcely used by Senators to block legislation - President Woodrow Wilson attempt to prepare the U.S. for WWI found it difficult to pass legislation in preparation of the war introduced the cloture rule to close debate by a two-thirds majority vote that was modified in 1975 to a only three-fifths majority - Republicans have exploited this procedure to where even just the threat of a filibuster can block legislation and nominations creating mass gridlock. It was once required, if a Senator wanted to filibuster a bill, to stand on the Senate floor and speak nonstop in an attempt to coerce his cohorts to alter their stance. The filibuster has given a minority in the Senate the ability to veto legislation even if a majority of legislators in both houses and the president approve of the bill. The filibuster, with no precedent in the U.S. Constitution, has given a small minority of 41 the power to control and sway critical legislation in a way not envisioned by the founding framers as they constructed the United States governmental

There are seven key points in this nuclear deal: Iran has to reduce their centrifuges, reduce their uranium enrichments, they can’t over produce anything nuclear for at least two months, their Fordow Facility has to stop producing uranium for fifteen years, they can keep doing research and development but can only do it with a break of three months, they will have inspection by the U.N., and we have to lift our sanctions that we have on Iran. President Barrack Obama said this deal, “is not built on trust, it is built on verification.” (Cato Institute 1/3) This applies to the quote by Barrack Obama wanting to make history. He wants to ensure the safety on America by declining the top producing nuclear war-heads country in the world, their production of nukes. President Obama will go into the books by already stopping a future nuclear

Currently, numerous sanctions target the Iranian economy. These sanctions are implemented and enforced by the United States of America, The European Union, and several other United Nation members to include; Japan, the Republic of Korea, Canada, Australia, Norway, Switzer. Fathollah-nejad, A. (2013). These measures are necessary to enforce international laws through means other than war.

The article, written by David Sanger and Michael Gordon from The New York Times on August 23, highlights main controversies about Iran-US nuclear agreement. After months of negotiations between USA and Iran, the deal is waiting to be approved by Congress. However, there are many points of debate regarding the approval of this pact. The main point of polemic is the capacity of Iran to produce nuclear weapons after 15 years, when the agreement is supposed to end. Many people, like the Democrat Representative Adam B. Schiff from California, agree Iran would “have a highly modern and internationally legitimized enrichment capability” (Gordon & Sanger, 2015). Others argue in favor of the agreement because, as R. Nicholas Burns, undersecretary of

In this instance, the measure or any other subject that is under the filibustering will not obtain chamber endorsement except if its opponents concede and permit the Senate to cast their vote on it. Even if the cloture is passed, conversely, a filibuster can considerably influence how, when, and whether the Senate accomplishes its legislative and executive operations. Due to this logic, filibusters and the panorama of filibusters controls more of the way in which the Senate performs its

In this year’s SOTU address, the president urged Congress to back the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Obama said, “You want to show our strength in this new century? Approve this agreement. Give us the tools to enforce it. It’s the right thing to do.” Congress has granted “fast-track” authority to Obama. Still, Congress can reject the international agreement the president has presented (In this case, The Trans-Pacific Partnership). Obama wants Congress to use its power to approve the TPP, so that he can use his power to enforce it. These powers of approval and enforcement, outlined in the Constitution, help the legislative and executive branches work together, as well as check each other, regarding certain issues.

The world nowadays is hectic and chaotic, there will always be issues that seem to never stop. The issues that have caught a great deal of attention are the ones in the Middle East. There one can see almost anything and everything, from: displacements, killings, bombings, terrorism, blood, and war. During the strenuous days, one country started to take the initiative to make themselves better. The country of Iran has been developing a nuclear system, for some time now and the United States of America feel that it’s time to start putting sanctions on their program. After the past thirteen years of limited restriction, the government is arguing about what leniency they should have and how much. Allowing such a deal to get approved would only, delay the inevitable. Iran shouldn’t have such a loose-running program. Having a country that is known for so many heinous activities. Does it make sense to allow them to continue on this path, towards nuclear weaponry? The United States government knows this and found numerous ways to cut Iran off enough to prevent this scenario.

However, the sanctions placed on Iran were placed there for a reason and that reason was because of “Iran’s continued illicit nuclear activities” (U.S. State Department) These economic sanctions were placed to hinder the attempt of Iran to build a nuclear bomb and now we are throwing away those sanctions that were in place to protect us.

have nuclear and hydrogen weapons, but for Iran, which is not a member of NATO and its security is not guaranteed by any country in the world, the simple principle of self-defense becomes so problematic?” (Vaez, 2017). The JCPOA satisfies Iran’s demand for increased influence while maintaining the priority of international nuclear stability. With worldwide peace and proliferation safeguards an international interest, the United States should utilize a selective engagement mindset, specifically in regards to a great powers focus, to maintain leverage and unity within the multilateral agreement, “Selective engagement endeavors to ensure peace among powers that have substantial industrial and military potential – the great powers” (Posen, & Ross, 2000). By prioritizing vital interests, the great powers can develop a collaborative and effective strategy to force Iranian nuclear cessation and maintain unity to avoid Iranian partnerships with nations seeking to increase their sphere of influence. Additionally, the international response to Iran establishes a

The Republicans in Congress raised their high expectations to overshadow the negotiations but Obama administration with the support of his party senators finalized the deal. On that time , Obama had two options; one go back to congress and get support of them which his chance was low to get approval or go to Security Council and get resolution to surpass any US congress act. Within legal authorities in congress under control of Republicans, both republicans and small group of democrats finally decide to pass a bipartisan bill deemed INARA 2015 to put some conditions for president and proved to have a say on Iran Deal.

     Sanctions intended to change the behavior or government of a target country are very difficult to design. They have to be imposed as quickly and easily as possible.(Library of Economics) By moving too slowly, it gives the target country time to adjust by finding alternative markets, finding new allies, and by gaining domestic support of its own policies.