“What we’re going to focus on right now is actually seeing whether we can get a deal or not. And once we do — if we do — then we’ll be able to make the case to the American people, and I'm confident we’ll be able to implement it,” Obama said on Monday.
Forty-seven Republican Senators sent an open letter to Iran’s leadership earlier on Monday, arguing that any agreement between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s nuclear program would need to be approved by the US Congress.
“I think it's somewhat ironic to see some members of Congress wanting to make common cause with the hardliners in Iran,” Obama said. “It's an unusual coalition.”
US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week that the Senate will debate the Iran Nuclear Agreement Act that would require Congressional approval of any US agreement reached with Iran.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest emphasized at a press briefing on Monday that the Senators’ letter undermines the nuclear peace talks.
The P5+1 negotiators, representing five permanent UN Security Council members — China, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and France plus Germany — have set the preliminary nuclear deal for the end of the March. A deadline for concluding a long-term comprehensive nuclear deal has been set for July, 2015.
