The Senate this past May approved the Iran Nuclear Agreement Act, 98-1. The measure required President Obama to submit the final agreement to Congress for its approval or disapproval.

Senate Democrats now are backing away from the legislation for which they voted a mere three months ago.

Indeed, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat, is no longer focused on mustering as many Democratic votes as possible in support of the Iran nuclear deal — formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — but, rather, on preventing an up-or-down vote from taking place.

Reid apparently is taking his marching orders from the White House, which fears passage of a disapproval resolution in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Though Obama almost certainly would veto the resolution, and the Senate Democratic caucus almost certainly would muster enough votes to sustain the president's veto, the White House wants to avoid the ignominy of having the Iran deal rejected by the Senate.

So Reid is now aiming to filibuster a disapproval resolution by denying the Senate Republican majority the 60 votes it needs for cloture — that is, the supermajority required to end debate on a measure and put it to a vote.

The top Senate Democrat is cautiously optimistic he can prevent Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., from obtaining the six Democratic (or other) votes he needs — in addition to those of the 54 Senate Democrats — to prevail in a cloture vote.

"As far as procedurally stopping this (resolution) from moving forward," Reid told reporters last week, "I am not giving up hope on that. I know it's a long shot, but I hope it can be done."

Well, we hope it won't be done. Because some 20 Senate Democrats co-sponsored the Iran Nuclear Agreement Act, and every Senate Democrat voted for the measure (save for California's Barbara Boxer, who chose not to vote).

If Reid and his fellow Senate Democrats thought it unnecessary for Congress to review the Iran nuclear deal, and to vote its approval or disapproval, then they should not have voted in May for the Iran Nuclear Agreement Act.

Since they did, they should resist Reid's appeal for a filibuster, and make a conscience vote for or against the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

REPRINTED FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER