Senate GOP pressing Trump for text of Iran deal

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says that Republican leaders are pressing the Trump administration to see the text of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the three-and-a-half month military conflict with Iran but have yet to be read in on the deal.

“We’re trying to get it,” Thune said Tuesday at the Capitol when asked if he’s trying to get the text of the agreement.

The GOP leader acknowledged it’s unusual for the president not to share the details of a major international agreement with leaders from his own party.

“Since I’ve been in this job, we haven’t had this issue,” he said when asked if it’s customary for Senate leaders to have to ask administration officials to be briefed on a major international peace deal.

Trump on Tuesday said he “never thought” about looping in Congress on the details of the agreement.

“I never thought about sending, never even thought about it, but I will. I will send it to Congress,” Trump told reporters on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France. “I like the idea.”

Thune said he hasn’t yet been notified by the administration of a briefing on the matter but speculated it could happen later this week.

He said senators are likely to get more information from the information “as the week wears on” and “we get closer to whenever the public release” of the MOU.

Thune said he spoke with Vice President Vance “a few days ago” but not about the substance of the deal. Vance has been in contact with other GOP senators to give them a better understanding of the proposed ceasefire.

Thune said that Senate Republicans have also asked the Trump administration for a briefing on the memorandum of understanding.

“What we hear about it, obviously, is that it’s sort of a framework to allow for discussions to continue. I think at the end of the day the goal here is to make sure Iran ends its nuclear program and whatever financial incentives they have should be conditioned upon that,” he said.

But he acknowledged that “it’s hard to react” to the deal “because I just know” the details.

He said he expects there will be a vote on a resolution of disapproval on any final agreement.

Under the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, any nuclear deal with Iran would need to be submitted to Congress for review and a vote before sanctions can be lifted.

“We’re going to need to be heard from on this if there’s a deal that deals with the nuclear program,” Thune said.