Obama is going to win the #IranDeal against Congress

Close to 40 House Democrats have come out in favor of the deal since it was first announced in mid-July, while 16 senators have voiced their support. And there are dozens of additional Democrats who’ve signaled in interviews and statements that they are inclined to back Obama’s deal, which aims to stop Tehran’s development of a nuclear weapon in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. Most notably, not one of the 151 House Democrats who signed a May letter in support of the broad outlines of the agreement have announced opposition to the final product.

Obama needs at least 144 House Democrats to stick by him to sustain a veto of any GOP legislation that would undermine or dismantle the deal with Iran.

Growing Democratic support comes despite fierce opposition from Republicans and a huge, multimillion dollar effort by anti-deal groups like the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Republicans are planning to pass legislation this September that would disapprove of the deal and prevent the lifting of key sanctions, a move that would scuttle the agreement.

in the House, recent endorsements have come from the Democrats, including California Reps. Lois Capps, Doris Matsui and Mark Takano. Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz also announced his support this week.

“This deal gives us the best chance we have had in years to halt the Iranian nuclear program,” Walz said on Tuesday. “It dismantles the progress they have made and opens up the country to strict inspections.”

On Wednesday, Massachusetts Rep. Niki Tsongas voiced her support.

“The consequences of rejecting this deal cannot be underestimated, leaving the United States isolated with no leverage and weakened alliances and credibility. Iran, already a nuclear threshold state, would be left unchecked with no reason to hold back its pursuit of a nuclear weapon,” Tsongas said.

POLITICO reported this week that Schumer has called 20 to 30 Democrats since he announced his opposition last week to explain why he can’t support the deal. Sources said, however, that Schumer is promising not to whip lawmakers against the agreement.

“The deal is not perfect. No diplomatic endeavor ever results in an agreement wherein one side or the other gets everything it hoped for,” Takano said. “Iran has broken previous agreements, and we should be under no illusion that this deal means that they are now trustworthy or our friends.”

But Takano added that having had family members affected by the atomic bombs that the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II made him inclined to support the deal.

“Preventing the proliferation of nuclear weaponry is more than sound policy; it is a moral imperative,” he said.

The House and Senate are both expected to take up resolutions approving of the deal in mid-September when Congress returns from its five-week recess. The measures will likely pass,

Obama has pledged to veto any legislation that stops the agreement from moving forward. It would then fall to either House or Senate Democrats to sustain that veto. Senior staffers in the House have predicted for weeks that lawmakers have the numbers to back Obama and prevent an override of his veto.