HARTFORD--New York Sen. Chuck Schumer says he will vote the nuclear deal with Iran down.
His voice holds weight, as he is the third-ranking democrat in the Senate.
Schumer's stance and explanation were laid out in a statement on the site "Medium," where he said, "After deep study, careful thought and considerable soul-searching, I have decided I must oppose the agreement and will vote yes on a motion of disapproval."
His decision comes as President Barack Obama defends his own statements comparing Iranian hard-liners and Republicans.
Both are doing all they can to thwart the deal, he said during an exclusive interview with CNN.
“The reason that Mitch McConnell and the rest of the folks in his caucus who opposed this jumped out and opposed this before they even read it, before it was even posted, is reflective of a ideological commitment not to get a deal done. In that sense they do have a lot in common with the hard-liners."
Back here in Connecticut, the state’s two senators stood together on Friday, but whether they see eye-to-eye on the nuclear deal remains to be seen.
Sen. Chris Murphy came out this week in support of the agreement. "This is one of the most important calls that we will ever make, for many members it's a very close call,” said Murphy, “I'm very comfortable with my early support but many members are taking their time on this."
Sen. Richard Blumenthal says he's doing just that. “I have not decided yet, I'm continuing to review very painstakingly and carefully, all of the documents."
As for Connecticut's house members, Rep. Joe Courtney is supporting the deal and explained his position on "The Real Story," which will air this Sunday on Fox CT.
"If we reject this deal, what happens next?” said Courtney. “And what I think is clear is that you're going to see this coalition fragment over time and you are going to lose the leverage this deal provides."
That congressional vote is scheduled for September.