WASHINGTON (JTA) — Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said he would vote to reject the Iran nuclear deal in Congress and proposed legislation to maintain tight controls on Iran should it cheat on the deal.

Cardin, who was closely watched as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as one of the Jewish leaders in the Senate, said in an op-ed on Friday, Sept. 4 in the Washington Post that  his decision was a “close call.” The deal, he said, “would provide Iran with international endorsement of an industrial-scale nuclear program. Worse, Iran would be economically strengthened by frighteningly quick relief from sanctions and international economic engagement.”

His decision brings to three the number of Democrats who will vote against the deal in the Senate. The others are Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Robert Menendez, D-N.J. So far, 38 Democrats in the Senate say they will support the bill, more than the 34 necessary to prevent an override of President Barack Obama’s pledged veto of any bill killing the deal. Congress has until Sept. 17 to consider the deal. All but one of the 54 Republicans have said they will reject the deal; only Susan Collins of Maine is undecided. That leaves five Democrats who are also undecided.