Overnight Defense: Iran debate heats up in Congress

THE TOPLINE: The nation’s No. 2 diplomat said Wednesday that the administration objects to an up-or-down vote in Congress on any nuclear agreement reached with Iran. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that President Obama has the "executive prerogative" to get a deal with Tehran and such a vote would set a bad precedent for the future. “Why would you oppose Congress weighing in on an issue of this importance?” asked Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the panel’s chairman. Corker has proposed legislation that would give Congress a final say over any bargain, with an up-or-down vote. “The more I hear from the administration and its quotes, the more it sounds like talking points that come straight out of Iran,” Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.), the panel’s top Democrat, said. Menendez and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) are also pushing legislation that would slap new sanctions on Iran if negotiators fail to reach an agreement. The president in his Tuesday State of the Union address vowed to veto that legislation. The White House says new sanctions would jeopardize the delicate talks between western powers and Iran, scuttling any hopes of peacefully preventing a nuclear-armed Tehran. The Senate Banking Committee is set to take up the Menendez-Kirk sanctions legislation next week. Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) are also "putting the final touches" on an alternative Iran sanctions bill they believe provides a more "moderate" approach. Their measure would allow Congress to restore sanctions that have been relaxed during the current talks if the Obama administration finds Iran has violated any nuclear agreement.  "I don’t want war, frankly," Paul said. Much will depend on whether diplomats meet a self-imposed, June 30 deadline for the talks, a date Blinken says could be extended. "We might want a little more time," he said. "That’s possible. I wouldn’t want to rule it out." Western powers and Tehran have twice missed deadlines to reach a deal. A third extension could prompt even more skepticism from lawmakers that a nuclear deal is possible. EX-NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISERS OPPOSE SANCTIONS BILL: Two foreign policy luminaries, former national security advisers Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski, on Wednesday came out against a new sanctions bill. During appearances at a  Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, they said new sanctions legislation would damage talks with Iran on curbing that country’s nuclear program. "They will break the talks," warned Scowcroft, who served as national security adviser under Republican Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. "I think we should see them out and not take steps which would destroy the negotiations." "I have a similar perspective," said Brzezinski, who served as national security adviser under Democratic President Jimmy Carter. "Iran is beginning to evolve." It was the first full hearing held by the committee this year, and the first in a series featuring well-known foreign policy heavyweights. Henry Kissinger, former national security adviser under President Richard Nixon, was scheduled to testify but had to postpone after fracturing his shoulder. ISIS WAR VOTE BY SPRING?: House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday said Congress will consider a new authorization for the use of military force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) by the spring. "I expect the president is going to send an authorization to the Congress. I expect that we will have hearings on that, and that we will in fact have a debate and a vote on it. Timing has yet to be determined," Boehner said. In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama called on Congress to pass a new authorization, but did not specify whether he would send language to Congress, or when. A number of lawmakers have urged Congress to consider a new authorization for months and Boehner has repeatedly said it’s the White House"s responsibility to send a measure to Capitol Hill. Last week, the president told lawmakers he would begin preparing draft language. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who has urged Congress to vote on a new authorization said he was pleased by Obama's remarks, but added, "I am disappointed he did not signal an intention to send a draft to Congress for consideration." "Congress as a whole will be better prepared to act with specific guidance from the Administration on the language of an AUMF. I hope that guidance is forthcoming soon," he said. "Five months of war has been far too long to make our service members and their families wait for a political consensus on the scope of the U.S. mission," he added. VETERANS SUICIDE BILL GOES TO FULL SENATE. The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved legislation meant to bolster suicide prevention efforts among military veterans. The panel voted 15-0 for the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, named after a Marine Corps veteran who took his life after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. "When you have 8,000 veterans a year committing suicide -- which is more veterans than have died in all of Iraq and all of Afghanistan since we’ve been fighting -- then you have a serious problem and this is emergency legislation that we need to pass to help our veterans," committee Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) said in a statement. The bill almost became law in the last Congress, but passage was blocked by then-Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). Coburn balked at the bill's price tag and argued that it duplicated existing programs for helping veterans. The reintroduced measure breezed through the House earlier this month and will now go to the full Senate for consideration. Isakson said the panel would visit at least two VA facilities in the U.S. where there have been issues with patient wait times or construction cost overruns. He also said he would meet with VA Secretary Robert McDonald and other agency officials next month. "I’ve always felt like if I’m out of sight, out of mind, nobody cares what I think," according to Isakson. "But if they know I care enough to go to them and ask questions and have the committee there, we are going to be a better committee for it and the veterans' choice bill is going to get implemented because they know we’re watching." IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: -Top general: Russia doubles support to Ukraine rebels -Va. lawmakers to DOD: Shield carrier fleet from cuts -Snowden: French spying didn’t stop terror attacks -Dem: US must ensure that Yemen 'does not disintegrate' -Obama official 'regrets' lawmakers weren't consulted on Cuba Please send tips and comments to Kristina  Wong, kwong@thehill.com, and Martin Matishak, mmatishak@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @kristina_wong, @martinmatishak