Congressional Republicans are moving to compel the Biden administration to release details of its nuclear deal negotiations with Iran, including any side deals that could provide the hardline regime with access to billions of dollars in cash.
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R., N.C.) and 20 Republican colleagues are spearheading a legislative measure that would force the Biden administration to submit to Congress all documents "relating to any initiative or negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program," according to a copy of the legislation.
In addition to forcing the release of the deal itself, the measure would expose any side deals that are being negotiated as part of the accord, according to sources familiar with the bill. This requirement was included as a result of the Obama administration’s decision to airlift Iran $400 million in cash in 2015 as part of a secret side agreement with Tehran that only became public knowledge after a Wall Street Journal exposé.
Foxx’s measure is likely to garner widespread Republican support and attract some Democrats who have become frustrated with the ongoing negotiations. If passed, Congress would be permitted to access "copies of any document, memorandum, or other communication in [the president’s] possession, or any portion thereof, that refers or relates to any initiative or negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program," according to the measure. The measure comes amid a push by a bipartisan group of lawmakers who wrote to the White House this month demanding it "not to return to any deal with Iran prior to releasing the full text of the agreement and any side agreements to Congress."
