Kansas senators defend decision to sign letter to Iran over nuclear deal

Kansas’ two Republican senators on Tuesday defended their decision to sign a controversial open letter to Iran.

Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran both signed the letter written by freshman Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., which warned Iran that a nuclear accord reached without congressional approval likely won’t last.

The Obama administration said the letter undermines ongoing nuclear talks with Iran and gives a boost to Iranian hard-liners who oppose any deal with the U.S.

Moran said in an interview Tuesday that he signed the letter because “there’s no more important national security issue than whether Iran or other terrorists are going to have nuclear capabilities.”

Moran said he wants input from members of Congress to be “seriously considered by the administration” before any agreement with Iran is reached.

While the White House and State Department have briefed Congress on the negotiations, Moran said, “most of the conversation is about how they can’t reveal any of the details, so there’s a lot of concern about the direction the negotiations are going.”

Roberts said in an interview that the letter reflects his belief that Congress ought to become more involved in foreign policy.

“Sen. Cotton had a very tough letter. I signed it,” Roberts said. “What I’m really worried about is that these negotiations are being done in Geneva but the real negotiator is the supreme leader of Iran, and he has never wavered from their goal of achieving nuclear capability.”

Roberts said he’s concerned that Saudi Arabia and Egypt will try to attain similar capability, potentially sparking a Sunni-Shiia “conflagration” in the region.

“So this is big stuff,” Roberts said, “and I think Congress ought to play a role in it, and we have some pretty strong feelings about it, so that’s exactly what the letter described.”

Asked whether the letter would complicate the passage of a bill authorizing the use of military force in Iraq in the Senate, Roberts said, “I think that’s going to be complicated anyway.”

Roberts said all he wants is an up-or-down vote on the agreement with Iran.

“I don’t think the president is willing to do that,” he said. “And I think that prompted the letter.”

This story was originally published March 10, 2015 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Kansas senators defend decision to sign letter to Iran over nuclear deal."