WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State John Kerry told senators Wednesday that an open letter from 47 Republican lawmakers to Iran's leaders was stunning, irresponsible and "flat wrong."
"No one is questioning anybody's right to dissent," Kerry said when asked about the letter Wednesday during testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "But to write to the leaders in the middle of a negotiation -- particularly the leaders they have criticized others for even engaging with -- to write them and suggest they're going to give a constitutional lesson, which by the way is incorrect, is quite stunning."
The U.S. and five other nations are working to craft an agreement that would prevent Iran from being able to develop nuclear weapons, though Tehran insists its nuclear work is peaceful.
Republicans worry that Iran is not negotiating in good faith and that a deal would be insufficient and unenforceable, allowing Iran to eventually become a nuclear-armed state.
Kerry said Wednesday that his reaction was "one of utter disbelief" upon learning of the letter initiated by Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas that told leaders of the Islamic Republic that any agreement they struck with President Barack Obama to curb Iran's nuclear program may be reversed by his successor or changed by U.S. lawmakers.
Kerry said Wednesday that U.S. lawmakers won't be able to change the terms of any nuclear agreement with Iran, because it won't be legally binding.
"We've been clear from the beginning: We're not negotiating a, quote, legally binding plan," Kerry told the panel. "We're negotiating a plan that will have in it the capacity for enforcement. We don't even have diplomatic relations with Iran right now."
Whereas formal treaties require ratification by two-thirds of the Senate, "the vast majority of international arrangements and agreements do not," he said. "And around the world today we have all kinds of executive agreements that we deal with," he said, from protecting U.S. troops in Afghanistan to "any number of noncontroversial, broadly supported foreign-policy goals."
Republicans immediately pushed back against Kerry.
"This indignation and breast-beating over this letter is absolutely nonsense," said Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho. He said that "each one of us that signed this thing is an elected official" and therefore has the responsibility and right to communicate with officials in other countries.
Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican and potential 2016 presidential candidate, said the letter was meant to get the attention of the White House, which he said has ignored Congress.
"I signed the letter to Iran, but the message I was sending was to you," Rand told the administration officials at the hearing.
Kerry said the letter "ignores 200 years of the conduct of foreign policy" in which presidents can reach executive agreements with other nations and "risks undermining the confidence" of foreign governments committing to such accords with the U.S. He also said the letter would strengthen Iranian hard-liners who oppose a nuclear deal.
Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker of Tennessee chided Kerry for what he said was a speech lasting five minutes and 26 seconds on the issue.
"I will say that I didn't sign the letter," Corker said, while adding, "I'm very disappointed, though, that you've gone back on your statement that any agreement must pass muster with Congress. The way we pass muster here is we vote, and I think all of us are very disappointed with the veto threat and the stiff-arming that has taken place."
The Obama administration has said the president would veto measures such as one Corker is sponsoring that would require congressional review of any accord reached by the U.S. and five other world powers with Iran and would give lawmakers the power to block the lifting of sanctions against the country.
Cotton said Tuesday that with the letter to Iran, "we're making sure that Iran's leaders understand if Congress doesn't approve a deal, Congress won't accept a deal."
Information for this article was contributed by Nicole Gaouette, David Lerman and Terry Atlas of Bloomberg News and by Bradley Klapper and staff members of The Associated Press.
A Section on 03/12/2015