Senate

Dem: McConnell ‘playing politics’ with American hostages

by Jordain Carney - 09/16/15 1:48 PM ET

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is “playing politics” with American hostages by forcing a vote that links them to the Iran deal.

“The Iranian government is playing politics with [Amir Hekmati’s] life. Unfortunately, though, now, today, the Senate Republican leader is also playing politics with Amir’s life,” Stabenow said.

{mosads}Hekmati, a former Marine from Michigan, is currently being held in Iran.

Stabenow’s remarks come after McConnell scheduled a vote for Thursday on an amendment that would block Obama from lifting sanctions until after Americans held in Iran are released and Iran pledges to support Israel.

She called the procedural maneuver “appalling.”

“He wants to score political points and bring in, as part of that vote, four American hostages and what’s happening to them,” Stabenow said. “And those political points will be scored at the expense of Amir Hekmati from Flint, Michigan.”

McConnell moved to force a vote after Democrats blocked a resolution of disapproval on the Iran nuclear deal from passing for a second time.

It could be a politically tricky vote for Democrats, though Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) suggested that they would block the amendment from getting the 60 votes needed to move forward.

Even if the amendment manages to overcome Thursday’s procedural hurdle, it’s unclear what impact it will have. Thursday is the deadline to pass a resolution on the nuclear deal, meaning senators would need to get unanimous consent to speed up votes.

It’s also being offered as an amendment to the resolution of disapproval that supporters of the deal twice blocked.

Tags Amir Hekmati Debbie Stabenow Iran Mitch McConnell