The Corker-Menendez legislation, or as it is officially known, the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, enables congressional review of the impending deal on Iran’s nuclear program. However, it can also be seen as one in a long line of actions by Congress effectively abdicating the legislature’s constitutional authority in foreign policy to the executive. In this case, the Senate has chosen not to consider the Iran agreement as a treaty, which would require approval in that body by a 2/3 vote.
The act calls for both the House of Representatives and the Senate to get a vote on the Iran agreement. If they both disapprove of the agreement, then the president can veto the disapproval, and Congress will then have an opportunity to override the veto with a 2/3 vote in each house of Congress. The agreement has to be submitted to Congress within five days of its signing, and Congress has 60 days to vote on approval, with foreign relations committees meetings to be scheduled within 30 days of the submission of the agreement. While this congressional review process is underway, the president is prohibited from waiving or relaxing sanctions on Iran that are currently in place and operative.