WASHINGTON (JTA) — Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee has endorsed the Iran nuclear deal. The congresswoman, one of the Democratic party’s most prominent and senior Jewish members, first announced her decision on Sunday, Sept. 6 in a five-page statement released to the Miami Herald and then published on her website.
In an interview Sunday with CNN, Wasserman Schultz, who represents the heavily Jewish South Florida district, verged on tears as she described making a decision “as a Jewish mother.” “There’s nothing more important to me as a Jew than to ensure that Israel’s existence is there throughout our generations,” she told Jake Tapper, calling her decision “the most difficult decision I have had to make in the nearly 23 years I have served in elected office.”
Her decision brings to a majority the number of Jews in Congress — 15 out of 28 — who back the deal. Eight oppose it and five remain undecided.
Last month, Wasserman Schultz reportedly prevented consideration of a resolution at the party’s summer meeting that praised President Barack Obama and offered backing for the Iran nuclear deal.