President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is prepared to send his interim agreement with Iran to Congress for review — but many lawmakers, including fellow Republicans, say they still have no idea what is actually in the deal.
The agreement between the U.S. and Iran, which was announced on Sunday, has generated cautious hope that a conflict responsible for thousands of deaths and significant disruption to the global economy may be nearing its end.
According to officials from both nations, the memorandum of understanding would extend a fragile ceasefire — first announced in April — by an additional 60 days. It would also reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical international shipping lane that has been effectively closed since the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on February 28.
Despite the announcement, the full text of the agreement has not been released to the public or shared with Congress, leaving many details unknown.
Trump also stated Tuesday that Iran would give up its nuclear weapons program as part of the deal. Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear activities are intended for peaceful purposes only.
Democratic lawmakers have expressed deep skepticism about the president’s latest claims of a breakthrough.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York opened Tuesday’s Senate session with pointed criticism. “We’ve been told dozens of times that the war is over and dozens of times we’ve been disappointed,” he said.
Schumer also noted the lack of transparency since the deal was first announced. “It’s been two days since Trump claimed he had reached an ‘understanding’ with Iran and he still hasn’t released any details… about what it actually is,” he said.
The Democratic leader called on the Trump administration to hold a classified briefing for Congress’s “Gang of Eight” — the select group of intelligence committee chairs and congressional leadership who are typically informed about major national security matters. Schumer also urged the administration to brief the full Congress and keep the American public informed. As of Tuesday, no such briefings had been announced.
Trump, speaking to reporters in France on the sidelines of the G7 summit during a meeting with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, said the idea of sending the deal to Congress had not originally crossed his mind — but that he was now on board. “I like the idea,” he said. Trump added that he wants to wait until after a formal signing ceremony expected to take place on Friday.
The president may also have a legal obligation to involve Congress. A 2015 law known as the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act — passed during Democratic President Barack Obama’s administration as it was finalizing a separate Iran nuclear deal — requires that any such agreement be submitted to Congress before sanctions can be reduced or lifted. That process would give lawmakers the opportunity to attempt to block portions of the agreement.
While some Republican lawmakers have previously broken with Trump — voting alongside Democrats in unsuccessful attempts to require the president to seek congressional authorization for the Iran war — most members of the party have shown little willingness during Trump’s second term to challenge his foreign policy decisions. Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the Senate’s top Republican, told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday that GOP members are pushing the White House to hand over the text of the memorandum of understanding. “We’re trying to get it,” he said, acknowledging the unusual nature of the situation. “Since I’ve been in this job, we haven’t had this issue,” Thune added.
Republicans weren’t alone in voicing frustration. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a Republican, put it bluntly when speaking to reporters Monday evening: “If it’s a secret deal, then how can I take it seriously?”
