Lawmakers skeptical of Biden effort to resurrect Iran nuclear deal

The Biden administration’s efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal is facing growing skepticism in Congress from both Democrats and Republicans.   

Lawmakers in both parties say they have been left largely in the dark about what a new agreement with Iran might look like, and they fear it will be significantly weaker than the deal former President ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaRelearning our lesson on dealing with extortionists   How Biden and Democrats can stack up legislative wins before November Data points to how GOP has built a lasting edge in state governments MORE cut in 2015 because the United States has lost time and leverage.   

There are also doubts whether it is currently a good time to negotiate a new agreement when U.S. relations with Russia and China, two signatories to the original Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), are at a multi-year low.   

There are concerns that a new deal could wind up steering billions of dollars to Russia as it would allow the country’s president, Vladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich Putin Zelensky suggests talks with Russia could be held in Jerusalem Russian navy commander killed in Mariupol fighting Russian invasion of Ukraine means green light for green energy in Europe MORE, to continue doing nuclear energy business with Iran.   

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob MenendezRobert (Bob) MenendezSenate passes resolution supporting Ukraine amid invasion fears Senators urge Biden to ‘impose significant costs’ if Russia invades Ukraine Senators eye Plan B amid Russia sanctions stalemate MORE (D-N.J.) said he doesn’t know enough about the details of the emerging deal to say whether it will be strong enough for him to support.  

He was one of four Democrats who voted against the first agreement in 2015, along with Sens. Ben CardinBenjamin (Ben) Louis CardinManchin’s blow to Biden’s Fed pick reveals weakness of relationship Zelensky prepares to pitch Congress — and the public For small businesses, electronic document delivery is critical to the full benefit of retirement modernization MORE (D-Md.), Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerTitle 42 anniversary marks headaches for Biden, stalemate with lawmakers A movement is underway to ban lawmakers from trading stocks in office Biden signs .5 trillion government funding bill with Ukraine aid MORE (D-N.Y.) and Joe ManchinJoe ManchinFormer Bernie Sanders press secretary: US should ‘more holistically’ fight climate change Equilibrium/Sustainability — Repurposing petroleum to build electric cars On The Money — Democrats search for plan on inflation MORE (D-W.Va.).   

“There’s been a little bit of insight as to how things are going but there’s no bigger picture insight,” Menendez told The Hill Thursday. “I don’t know what the deal is.”   

“It’s hard to judge. If Iran is going to roll back its nuclear program, if it’s finally going to come clean on its efforts to achieve nuclear weapons and give access to the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] to sites that they’ve been asking and demanding for and haven’t gotten to, if Iran is going to constrain its missile program … those are good things,” he said.   

But Menendez said if Iran is merely asked to delay the development of its nuclear weapons program, it likely won’t be good enough.   

“If what we may have — and I don’t know what we may have — is just a rolling back of time, you can’t roll back knowledge,” he said of the advances Iran has made since 2018.  

The country resumed its nuclear program after former President TrumpDonald TrumpNow is the time to rebuild America’s refugee resettlement program Is a post-Trump media world beginning to take shape? Major government surveillance revelations fail to make a big splash MORE pulled the U.S. out of the agreement.   

“If all you’re going to get is a limited period of time before breakout, that doesn’t deal with all the other challenges of a nuclear weapon and certainly of Iran’s malign activity,” he said. “If somehow it gives relief to Iran and if somehow Russia gets any benefit from it, obviously that would be a problem.”   

Menendez received a classified briefing from the administration Thursday afternoon on the latest developments in the nuclear talks but declined to comment on the discussion. 

“There’s still a lot unknown,” he said.    

Cardin, the second most senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said Trump made a mistake by pulling out of the Iran deal four years ago.   

He acknowledged that the deteriorating relationship with Russia and China poses obstacles to negotiating a new deal and that it might be better to wait in hopes of crafting a stronger agreement later.   

The Maryland senator said Russia’s pariah status in the international community “changes the dynamics of the talks.”   

“We know the dynamics among the partners are dicey at best,” he said. “We knew our relationship with China has changed. Our relationship with Russia has changed.”   

He said waiting to renegotiate the deal “may be the best strategy” but he wants to talk to the administration about it.   

“I’m not necessarily for rushing into an agreement,” he said. “I still believe we should have a longer agreement,” Cardin said, referring to the terms of the 2015 deal that required Iran to reduce its centrifuges for a period of only 10 years.    

Marshall Wittmann, the spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, told The Hill: “We’re deeply concerned about the direction of negotiations based on reports.”   

“Fueling Iran’s terrorist aggression with a massive cash windfall in exchange for temporary nuclear limits would make the world far more dangerous. Congress must conduct a rigorous review of any agreement,” he said.  

A State Department spokesman said the administration will be careful to ensure a new deal complies with Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, which provides for executive branch and congressional review.   

David Albright, president of the Institute of Science and International Security, estimates the deal would allow Russia to preserve billions of dollars in trade with Iran by allowing its cooperation on civil nuclear power programs to continue.  

Republicans say Russia is certain to reap significant economic benefits from continued nuclear trade with Iran under a new deal.   

“I just don’t see another deal helping Iran. Any deal that puts more money into Iran’s hands, any deal that allows Russia to get funding through a new JCPOA makes no sense,” said Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneySenate GOP eyes Hunter Biden, Fauci probes after midterms  Senate votes to nix mask mandate for public transportation The Memo: Zelensky virtual address raises pressure on Biden MORE (R-Utah), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee.   

Romney said a new agreement “absolutely” would steer money to Russia, despite crippling sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe since its invasion of Ukraine.   

“Russia is attached with reprocessing some of the nuclear fuel and that puts money in their pockets,” he said.   

The State Department spokesperson clarified the administration would not sanction Russia for participating in any activity agreed to under a new nuclear deal with Iran.   

“We would of course not sanction Russian participation in nuclear projects that are part of resuming full implementation of the JCPOA,” the official said.  

Forty-nine Republican senators issued a joint statement last week pledging to oppose any agreement that imposes weaker sanctions and fewer restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program than the initial JPOA.   

“The nuclear limitations in this new deal appear to be significantly less restrictive than the 2015 nuclear deal, which was itself too weak, and will sharply undermine U.S. leverage to secure an actually ‘longer and stronger’ deal,” the GOP lawmakers said.   

“What is more, the deal appears likely to deepen Iran’s financial and security relationship with Moscow and Beijing, including through arms sales,” they said.   

Sen. Jim RischJames Elroy Risch​​Sunday shows preview: Russian invasion in Ukraine extends into third week Senate passes postal reform bill Biden, allies launch sanctions against Russia MORE (Idaho), the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, who signed the statement, said senators from both parties have been…