Obama thanks Reid for supporting deal

President Obama on Monday thanked Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for backing the Iran nuclear deal, a top second-term priority for the president. 

“Harry’s leadership matters,” Obama said during a speech in Reid’s home state of Nevada. “It sends a message that Congress should support this historic diplomatic breakthrough and not block it over the objections of most of the world.”

{mosads}Reid’s support provided a major boost to the White House’s effort to prevent Congress from rejecting the deal. 

Lawmakers are expected to vote in mid-September on a resolution of disapproval on the accord, which curbs Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. 

Facing near-unanimous opposition from Republicans, the White House has focused on marshaling enough support from Democrats to sustain a presidential veto of the measure. 

Obama took a shot at opponents during his Las Vegas speech, saying the deal shows “we don’t rely on bluster or bravado, we focus on strong principled diplomacy that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

Reid announced his support just one day before Obama was scheduled to attend a Las Vegas energy summit hosted by him. The Nevada senator pledged he would “do everything in my power” to prevent Congress from derailing the agreement. 

Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow on Monday became the 28th Senate Democrat to back the deal. 

Just two Democrats in the Senate — Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Bob Menendez (N.J.) — have announced they oppose the deal. 

Obama needs just six more Democrats to sustain a veto in the Senate. 

Reid told reporters at the summit that it’s a “long shot” to build enough support to filibuster the resolution in the Senate, which would require 41 votes. But he said he is “cautiously optimistic” that the Senate would uphold Obama’s veto, according to Politico.