Bruce Jentleson on Corker-Menendez
Dr. Bruce Jentleson, NSN board member and Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at Duke University, had this to say about the Corker-Menendez bill working its way through the Senate:
But in the name of preventing a bad deal, the Corker-Menendez bill weaves a procedural spider web for congressional review and includes a poison pill provision that hinders, rather than helps, getting a good deal. The procedural web starts with a five-day initial reporting requirement for the June comprehensive agreement, including full analysis of its components and a verification assessment. Even for less complex international agreements, it usually takes at least a month for all elements to be analyzed and the reliability of verification to be assessed by State Department, intelligence community and other experts. Quick turnaround is even harder when negotiations go up to deadlines and indeed into overtime, as did the first two rounds and as this final round almost certainly will. If Congress truly wants quality information to work with on this issue, the five-day turnaround is self-defeating.
Especially problematic is the 60-day review period. Even if a resolution of approval comes out the other end, we will have subjected our negotiating partners to the vicissitudes of American politics after asking them to follow our lead and adjust their own policies and politics accordingly, not only in the negotiations but also at the United Nations on sanctions and other measures. This would damage both our European allies’ confidence in our leadership and the credibility with which China and Russia size us up — and not just on the issue at hand.
Crafted by Cornershop
