The Senate’s Institutional Suicide

Is the U.S. Senate still “the world’s greatest deliberative body”? Does it still want to be?

Senators are considering legislation that would effectively strip them of their constitutional duty to advise and consent by a two-thirds majority to any treaty. President Obama says his deal with Iran isn’t a treaty, so the Senate shouldn’t play that role.

Because it legitimates and enables Iran’s pursuit of efforts to get the Bomb, this deal should be a treaty. Obama says the Senate can have a vote on it, but only if it’s a meaningless one.

Sen. Ron Johnson has an amendment that would require this accord to take the form of a treaty. It would be the ultimate dereliction of duty – and betrayal of the Senate’s institutional role – if his colleagues don’t support it.