Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) channeled U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill on Thursday to warn of the consequences of the Iran nuclear deal.
"We are entering a period of consequences," Cotton said, quoting a 1936 speech by Churchill about British appeasement of Nazi Germany. "Because of your votes, the consequences may well be nuclear," Cotton added. "God help us all if they are."
Earlier that day, 41 Democrats in the Senate blocked a resolution of disapproval of the nuclear deal, all but ensuring that the deal being trumpeted by President Obama will go into effect without a full vote of Congress—and against the wishes of nearly three-fifths of Americans.
"This vote is not about a party or a president," Cotton said. "After all, the Iranians chant death to America, and not death to Republicans or death to Democrats or death to our president.
"Just this week, the Iranians again labeled America the Great Satan," Cotton said. "This vote is about empowering an evil, terror-sponsoring regime."
Cotton, an Iraq War combat veteran, has been an outspoken critic of the Obama administration's rapprochement with Iran.
In March, Cotton and his 46 Republican colleagues in the Senate sent a letter to the leaders of Iran informing them of the oversight role Congress plays in making international agreements.
"[U]nder our Constitution, while the president negotiates international agreements, Congress plays the significant role of ratifying them," the letter reads. "Anything not approved by Congress is a mere executive agreement ... The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time."
If the minority of Senate Democrats continue to block the resolution of disapproval through next Tuesday, the Iran deal will go into effect unilaterally, subject to change by future presidents and Congresses.