Wont Pass

CIR
No Immigration reform this year. Republicans will wait until after elections.
ONeal 12/23
By: Adam O'Neal 12/23/2013 11:13 AM IMMIGRATION REFORM IN 2014? NOT SO FAST
https://www.humanevents.com/2013/12/23/immigration-reform-in-2014-not-so-fast/ TJN

But he cautioned that, while activists are optimistic, theyre not blindly so. He expects that
major immigration reform wont be able to pass until 2015, at the earliest. Its difficult to pass
major legislation in an election year, he explained, and it makes more strategic sense (from the
Republican point of view) to wait.
Republicans, who are at a politically advantageous position because of the trouble associated
with the rollout of Obamacare, reasonably expect to pick up seats in the midterms. They could
feasibly control the Senate though that will be no easy task by January 2015. So why
would they pass immigration reform when theyre almost certain to pick up seats and enter a
stronger bargaining position? The answer is simple: They wouldnt.
So, yes, Speaker Boehner has changed his tune. But that doesnt mean hell change his strategy
just yet.

Iran Sanctions

Non Unique: Sanctions will only be passed if talks fail and turn the threat of new
sanctions could give Obama leverage in talks.
Everett 12/12
By BURGESS EVERETT | 12/12/13 10:22 AM EST Senate bill has new Iran sanctions
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/iran-sanctions-senate-bill-101074.html TJN

The Senate Banking Committees leaders have drafted a bill that would slap fresh sanctions on
Iran and will pass the legislation if Tehran fails to follow through on its end of a temporary
nuclear deal with global powers.
Crafted by Banking Chairman Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) and ranking member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho),
the bill will be moved quickly if Iran falls short of the parameters of a six-month temporary
agreement that relieves about $6 billion in sanctions in return for a draw-down of Irans nuclear
ambitions, Johnson said. Johnson said at a Thursday Iran hearing he would also act on the bill if
negotiations with Iran to secure a more permanent deal collapse.
Top administration officials sought to placate senators itching to move more quickly than
Johnson. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said that total relief under the deal is a
modest fraction of the approximately $100 billion in Irans holdings that are unavailable due
to global sanctions. And Under Secretary of Treasury David Cohen portrayed Irans fiscal
situation as chaotic and fatigued as a result of bipartisan sanction enforcement.
But Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) was undeterred, reading back
to the officials past administration statements urging against a previous sanction bill. Menendez
told Sherman and Cohen that previous successful efforts to slap penalties on Iran are the things
you all herald today as the essence of what got Iran to the negotiating table.
But Menendez said perhaps the Senate should go even further than another round of sanctions,
given the broad criticism against the administration for the terms of a deal that many believe
will leave Iran with unacceptable nuclear capacity. That step would likely come in the form of a
Senate resolution that defines what Congress can stomach as part of a permanent diplomatic
deal with Iran.
Maybe what the Senate needs to do is find the endgame and define what it finds acceptable,
Menendez said.
On a separate track from Johnson and Crapo, powerful Democrats like Sens. Chuck Schumer of
New York and Menendez are teaming with Republicans like John McCain of Arizona and Mark
Kirk of Illinois to work on a bill that would trigger new sanctions if diplomatic talks with Iran
fall through. But Johnson said emphatically at a hearing on ongoing talks that he disagrees with
such an approach.
Some have argued that acting on a bill now, as long as it does not become effective in 6
months, gives the administration additional leverage in negotiations. The President disagrees,
arguing that Congressional action on new sanctions would be taken as a sign of bad faith by our
P5+1 partners and by Iran, and could erode or even unravel the sanctions regime, Johnson said.
We should not do anything counterproductive that might shatter Western unity on this issue
we should make sure that if the talks fail, it was Iran that caused their failure.
Sanctions Will Pass

Strong support for new sanctions will allow them to pass.
Dann and Hunt 12/19
By Carrie Dann and Kasie Hunt, NBC News 19 Dec 2013 3:56pm, ESTDefying White House, 26
senators prep Iran sanctions bill http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/19/21971891-
defying-white-house-26-senators-prep-iran-sanctions-bill?lite TJN
A bipartisan group of 26 senators is planning to introduce a bill to impose new sanctions on
Iran if the regime violates its interim nuclear deal or if a final agreement falls through.
The effort, led by U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., would increase
pressure on Iran if it fails to meet the obligations it agreed to in last months historic deal to
freeze parts of its nuclear program. That promise to halt the nations advances towards a
nuclear weapon came in exchange for the temporary relief of some economic sanctions.
The White House said Thursday that any sanctions legislation at this time would hurt ongoing
diplomatic negotiations with Iran and that the president would veto the Senate proposal if
passed.
Now is not the time to pass new legislation in Congress," White House spokesman Jay Carney
told reporters Thursday. "If Iran does not comply with the interim agreement or agree to a more
comprehensive agreement in six months, we are confident we can come back to Congress and
pass additional sanctions at that time."
But the legislations backers say that Iranian leaders cant be trusted to hew to the deals
principles without the threat of sanctions.
"The American people rightfully distrust Iran's true intentions and they deserve an insurance
policy to defend against Iranian deception during negotiations," Kirk said in a statement. "This
is a responsible, bipartisan bill to protect the American people from Iranian deception and I
urge the Majority Leader to give the American people an up or down vote."
Current sanctions brought Iran to the negotiating table and a credible threat of future
sanctions will require Iran to cooperate and act in good faith at the negotiating table," said
Menendez, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "The Iranians last week blamed
the Administration for enforcing sanctions; now, they criticize Congress. The burden rests with
Iran to negotiate in good faith and verifiably terminate its nuclear weapons program.
Prospective sanctions will influence Iran's calculus and accelerate that process toward
achieving a meaningful diplomatic resolution."
Sanctions Wont Pass

A deal for new sanctions completely collapsed and accomplished nothing.
World News 12/12
WORLD NEWS 12.12.13 Senates Iran Sanctions Deal Falls Apart
Democrats bow to requests from President Obama to delay additional sanctions while the
White House negotiates a nuclear deal with Tehran.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/12/senate-s-iran-sanctions-deal-falls-
apart.html TJN

A deal in the Senate to impose additional sanctions on Iran has fallen apart, as Senate
Democrats accede to requests from President Obama to delay new legislation while world
powers negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran.
Senate staffers tell The Daily Beast that a bipartisan amendment to the National Defense
Authorization Act was ready to go last night, and aimed at closing loopholes in the current
sanctions on Iran. The new bill, however, would only kick in after the six-month negotiations
periodspecified in an interim deal reached last month with Iranexpired and only if Iran had
been found in violation of its obligations.
We dont know why the Democrats walked away from this, one senate staff member
involved in the negotiations told The Daily Beast on Thursday. There was a deal last night, but
something happened in the last 12 hours.
The collapse of the Senates efforts to reach a sanctions compromise between Senators Mark
Kirk (R-Il.) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) is a victory for President Obama and President Rouhani
of Iran. Earlier this week, Irans foreign minister, Javad Zarif, told Time magazine that any new
sanctions from Congress would collapse the nuclear talks between his country and the United
States, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom.
Thumpers

Obamacare Rollout

The Obamacare launch hurt Obama and his administrations image severely.
Dovere and Nather 12/23
By EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE and DAVID NATHER | 12/23/13 5:21 PM EST PR nightmare on
Pennsylvania Ave. http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/obamacare-public-relations-
nightmare-101490.html TJN

Just when everything seems settled and people are starting to catch their breath, all of a
sudden, its back.
Thats pretty much any disaster or monster movie. Its also the story of the Obamacare rollout
the past few months. Over and over again, Obama administration officials have promised that
theyre finally getting everything under control.
Each time, they assure people, theyve put whatever the latest problem was to bed. No more
changes. No more surprises.
And then another arrives.
This time, on the eve of Christmas Eve, the administration says its just proactively
recognizing the possibility of heavy traffic coming at what was supposed to be Monday
nights sign-up deadline a date that itself had been shifted back late last month, in response
to the website problems. The new deadline is Tuesday night, though thats somewhat less
exact than the NORAD Santa tracker: the deadline had been midnight Eastern Time Monday,
but the latest announcement from the administration says only the end of the day tomorrow.
For a law thats faced automatic Republican resistance from the start, the ball fumbling since
Oct. 1 that President Barack Obama has repeatedly acknowledged hasnt helped.
The president and his aides say every announcement has been the result of being responsive
and flexible, trying to make the law work for everyone. But at this point, the administration
appears to be demonstrating that it lacks either a full sense of what implementing health care
entails, or a full sense of the kind of blowback that each shift in the rules, however small, will
generate.
Obamas personal credibility with the American public has tumbled since the website launch,
and critics have used each new announcement to try to sink it further. Asked whether this was
a reason to call the whole law into question, White House Communications Director Jennifer
Palmieri said Monday afternoon on MSNBC, Im not worried about that.
Were just trying to make sure everyone who wants to get enrolled to be covered by Jan. 1 is
able to do that, Palmieri said, speaking after the latest news was announced.
The official explanation the administration cited for the move was high demand across multiple
time zones, along with other technical issues.
But officials denied any actual shift had taken place.
We still consider the end of the deadline to be today, but were going to try to accommodate
people who try to get it done today, Palmieri said.


Obama is going to take the heat for all of the Obamacare fumbles.
Scott 12/20
DYLAN SCOTT DECEMBER 20, 2013, 2:52 PM EST Obama On Obamacare Rollout: 'We Screwed
It Up' http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/obamacare-we-screwed-up-obamacare TJN

President Barack Obama acknowledged again Friday that the White House had fumbled
Obamacare's rollout in its early days.
"When it came to the health care rollout, even though I was meeting every other week or
every three weeks with folks and emphasizing how important it was that consumers had a
good experience and easy experience in getting the information they need and knowing what
the choices and options were for them to be able to get high quality affordable health care,"
Obama said, "the fact is it didn't happen in the first month, first six weeks in a way that was at
all acceptable."
"And since I'm in charge, obviously, we screwed it up."