AZ/DC

Flake: Senate GOP letter to Iran not appropriate

Dan Nowicki
The Republic | azcentral.com
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., on Monday told The Arizona Republic that he did not sign on to a Senate GOP letter to Iran's leaders because he didn't think it was appropriate. Flake sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Sen. Jeff Flake was one of seven Senate Republicans who didn't sign a letter to Iranian leaders regarding their ongoing nuclear talks with President Barack Obama's administration, even though he believes the Senate should have a say over any deal.

"I just didn't think it was appropriate," Flake, R-Ariz., told The Arizona Republic on Monday.

The 47 GOP senators, including Sen. John McCain of Arizona, bluntly told the Iranian negotiators that they would "consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei" that easily could be undone by a future president or Congress.

Flake is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has jurisdiction over treaties that the Senate must ratify. But Flake acknowledged that Obama is negotiating an agreement and not a treaty. However, he said Obama should consider getting buy-in from Capitol Hill.

"When there's something this big and this important, it behooves the president to seek as broad a consensus as he can," Flake said. "Because in order for this to last beyond his administration, you'll want Congress to continue it. I think it's unlikely, if it's a good deal, that Congress would go in after his term expires and undo it. It just wouldn't be in our interest to do that if it's a good deal, and I still hope for a good deal."

Flake said lawmakers ultimately would get to weigh in because congressional action is needed to permanently lift U.S. sanctions on Iran.

Flake also opposes putting additional sanctions on Iran while the talks are still active.

"I'm not very bullish on the chances of these negotiations resulting in a good agreement, or an agreement at all, but we ought to explore it," Flake said. "We ought to give it every opportunity to succeed."

Nowicki is The Republic's national political reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @dannowicki and on his official Facebook page.