This will not be a column about the nuanced details of the pending nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran.
It would take me thousands of words to fully articulate the variables affecting the parameters of the agreement that Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif are attempting to negotiate.
Instead, I’ll keep this to a simple criticism of the Republican congressmen who took it upon themselves to endanger the negotiations and the balance of international relations.
Article two section two of the United States Constitution enumerates the powers of the president of the United States. In that article, the president is given authority as commander-in-chief over foreign affairs with the oversight of Congress.
Article one section eight of the Constitution, which details the powers of the legislative branch, does not give Congress power over any foreign affairs outside of commerce and the declaration of war.
When 47 Republican senators signed an open letter to the Iranian government, they dangerously threatened the balance of national and international powers. After criticizing the president for using an executive order to create legislation, therefore overstepping the powers of the executive branch, the Republicans are doing the same thing.
Beginning with House Speaker John Boehner inviting the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States, and now with the letter to Iran, the Republicans have attempted to fight fire with fire in overstepping the Constitutional bounds of governmental power.
More than simply walking all over the Constitution, the actions of the executive and legislative branches of the government has seriously harmed any semblance of national unity that the United States may have had before November. So now, while John Kerry attempts to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran, the United States has far less chips at the table than necessary.
It was assumed that after the Republicans took control of Congress in November that things could get ugly in Washington. But rather than things simply getting ugly, Republicans and Democrats have resorted in cat fighting and grudge matches rather than working towards progress.
The past five months may have proved that bipartisanship is dead, at least until President Obama leaves office. But what will it take until our leaders in Washington realize that there are bigger issues at stake than personal grudges and political image?
The Constitution is not something to be walked all over, just as international relations is not something to be handled by 47 congressional Republicans and an open letter. The image of the United States has been seriously damaged, and a deal with Iran has been made even more difficult than before.
I hope the politicians are happy with their conduct, because the rest of the world is waiting on progress while they bicker in an increasingly useless public feud.