Despite confusion between both sides, the US and Iran announced a rough set of plans for a nuclear agreement on Thursday.
As a precaution to make sure the details on the matter are fully understood, the House and Senate is planning legislation that would make Congress approve any final agreement on the issue, according to The Blaze.
On Thursday when the outline of the deal was announced, the countries still seemed to be confused on what is exactly it means. Key Republicans have been outspoken against the plan, mainly, according to The Blaze, because all of Iran's nuclear facilities will stay fully equipped. Also, Iran would only have uranium enrichment restrictions for 10 years. Members of Congress have gone on record saying restrictions should last "for multiple decades."
Instead of trying to hand down strong sanctions on Iran to delay any agreement, leaders opposed to the bill are taking the more secure route of making sure Congress "will have its say" on the matter.
"Just what is the research and development that Iran will be permitted on its advanced centrifuges, key to advancing its nuclear program?" House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said. "What violations would constitute 'significant nonperformance? There must be a zero-tolerance policy for Iranian cheating. Will there be inspections anytime, anywhere?"
"These are just some of the initial issues the committee will closely scrutinize of this political framework," he said. "And Congress will have its say on any final agreement."
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) believes the legislation of Congress deciding on the agreement with Iran is bipartisan. He will hold a committee vote on April 14 for the bill that would allow any agreement to be reviewed before it becomes official.
"There is growing bipartisan support for congressional review of the nuclear deal, and I am confident of a strong vote on the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee takes it up on April 14," he said.
Even without Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who was the head Democrat on the committee, Corker is confident there that the party still is in favor of the bill.
The Obama administration has said continuously that if the deal goes to Congress it will hurt chances of Iran agreeing. Congress is not backing down though, and the difference between how Iran announced the bill and how the United States did is not helping.
"I am very concerned by the extent of the sanctions relief that this announcement appears to offer Iran," Royce said. "Almost all congressionally-mandated sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program are also related to Tehran's advancing ballistic missile program... And I remain concerned regarding the ability to effectively re-impose sanctions once they have been weakened."
