US President Barack Obama plans to host congressional Democrats from the House of Representatives at a White House reception as he seeks to build support for the Iran nuclear accord.

The president has invited House Democrats to the White House for a meeting on Wednesday to talk about his legislative priorities, especially the Iran agreement, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said Tuesday.

The Obama administration is working hard to get lawmakers from the Democratic Party on board with the agreement, and Obama has become personally involved, meeting with and contacting Congress members to ask for their support.

Obama invited Senate Democrats to a similar meeting earlier this month before the nuclear accord was finalized.

Congress has until September 17 to review and vote either to reject or approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached on July 14 in the Austrian capital of Vienna.

Republican lawmakers have strongly opposed the agreement, which they say will threaten US ally Israel and empower Iran.

However, several Jewish Democrats have also harshly criticized the Obama administration for efforts to seal the agreement with Iran, highlighting the difficulty the White House faces in gaining the support of its own party.

The House reportedly has the votes to pass a resolution, but in the Senate, Republicans would need support from half a dozen Democrats in order to override a presidential veto.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry had several sharp exchanges with Jewish Democrats on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, including Eliot Engel, who said he was �very disappointed� with the agreement.

During the exchanges in which Kerry was at times visibly exasperated, he challenged the committee members�critical of the nuclear agreement�to find a viable alternative.

By Press TV