Cornyn: Iran deal an ObamaCare distraction

By Peter Schroeder

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) dismissed a nuclear deal struck between leading world diplomats and Iran as a further attempt by the Obama administration to distract from the botched rollout of the healthcare reform law.

“Amazing what WH will do to distract attention from O-care,” the Senate Minority Whip tweeted shortly after the deal was announced.

Republicans have emphasized the struggles of the implementation of the president’s healthcare reform law since Healthcare.gov opened with a slew of technical problems on Oct. 1. Previously, Republicans contended that Senate Democrats opting to change Senate rules via the so-called “nuclear option” to make it easier to confirm nominees was another attempt to distract from the health care debate.

The White House, along with international diplomats, announced a six-month agreement between the global community and Iran to prevent that nation from pursuing a nuclear weapon. Under the agreement, Iran agreed to certain restrictions and heightened oversight of its nuclear program in exchange for limited relief from global economic sanctions.

President Obama hailed the development, which came after hours of intense negotiations in Geneva among top diplomats. In late Saturday evening remarks, Obama said the diplomacy “opened up a new path toward a world that is more secure.”