More than a week after the United States and Iran reached a preliminary agreement to end the war, senators on Capitol Hill are still waiting for answers about what it means — and where negotiations go from here.
The White House has yet to offer lawmakers a classified briefing about the memorandum of understanding, which was signed by the two countries days ago, even as talks on a final deal kicked off over the weekend with Vice President JD Vance in Switzerland.
While some members of the president’s own party spent last week publicly decrying the MOU, other Republicans on Monday pointed to the 60-day negotiating window as a reason for patience.
“I’m really not worried about it until it’s all said and done,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said.
“I know there are a lot of my colleagues that think we should get updated on a daily basis. I do not,” he added.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., predicted that the talks are “going to go on for a while.”
“Hope it goes well,” he said.
And Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said it is bound to be a “tough negotiation.”
“Most things are up in the air,” Johnson added.
But already, some of the developments emerging from the first days of negotiations are sparking skepticism among Republicans — especially news that the White House would temporarily lift sanctions for 60 days on Iranian oil.
“Morning Joe” economic analyst Steve Rattner projected Iran could rake in $10 billion from that move by the administration.
“I’m concerned about what the impact would be,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said, adding that she wants a briefing to “understand the details.”
“I hope it works,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told MS NOW before closing the door of his car.
And even Hoeven told MS NOW he has “concerns about it.”
“We’ll see how it gets handled,” Hoeven said.
“The way the vice president talked about it, as he said, ‘Look, we’ll dial things up if they comply and dial them down if they don’t.’ So, we’ll have to see how it goes,” he said.
Vance and other negotiators gathered in Switzerland over the weekend, where the vice president claimed they “laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.”
Vance said Iran agreed to once again allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back into the country. He also suggested the U.S. could unfreeze Iranian assets to allow Iran to purchase U.S. agricultural products like soy, corn and wheat.
But while some Republicans are giving the administration breathing room, others continue to express broader concerns about the state of the talks — notably including Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Last week, he said in a scathing statement that he was “concerned” that the MOU signed by both the U.S. and Iran “negotiates away the victories of Operation Epic Fury in ways that are completely out of step with the President’s goals.”
Approached by reporters Monday, Wicker said his statement “still stands.”
“I have not changed my position,” he said.
And Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas — newly unfettered after losing his re-election bid to a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump — reiterated his concern that Iran will not keep its word anyway.
“You can agree to, you know, the moon is made out of green cheese, but they’re not going to abide by anything,” he said.
With Trump expected on Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a closed-door meeting with senators, Republicans hinted that Iran will likely be a topic of conversation.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he would like an update on Iran from Trump at Wednesday’s lunch, plus a follow-up briefing from officials in a sensitive compartmented information facility, or SCIF, where they can share classified information.
“We need to go to the SCIF to learn more about that,” Tillis told MS NOW on Monday. “So, anything out of a classified setting, all you’re going to get is top lines, and appropriately so.”
Lawmakers also only have a vague view of the direct costs of the war for the military — a matter that will eventually require a vote from Congress.
The Trump administration has told some lawmakers in private calls that it will likely seek an $80 billion supplemental spending bill for the military, covering the costs of the Iran war and other matters, according to a person familiar with the discussions. But officials have yet to send a written request for funds.
“I have not received an Iran supplemental request,” Collins — the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee — told reporters Monday evening.
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said he suspects the $80 billion ballpark figure is an underestimate, figuring that officials haven’t calculated the cost of damage to military bases. He said he expects the war to cost between $100 billion and $200 billion.
But he said the administration hasn’t been forthcoming with Democrats.
“I don’t have an estimate, because they won’t give it to me,” Schatz told reporters Monday.
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