By JM Rieger and Cory Brown and Niels Lesniewski

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid urged Republicans not to derail an Iran nuclear agreement review bill by pushing contentious amendments during his opening remarks Monday, citing the bipartisan nature of the legislation and the ongoing work of Sens. Bob Corker and Benjamin L. Cardin. “A number of Senate Republicans are prioritizing presidential politics over national security,” Reid said. “Others are simply trying to undermine President Obama. … The junior senator from Arkansas and other Republicans want to see any potential agreement with Iran crash and burn before we know what’s in the final agreement. … The opponents of the Corker-Cardin legislation aren’t concerned with finding a middle ground. That is why the majority leader should file cloture now to preserve this legislation.” Reid’s remarks follow a speech last week by Sen. Tom Cotton insisting on a simple majority threshold for votes on amendments to the Iran bill, which Corker said changed the context of the Iran nuclear debate.