Boehner: Obama wants Iran deal ‘at any cost’

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Tuesday blasted the Obama administration for pursuing a nuclear deal with Iran “at any cost,” reiterating that lawmakers should review any agreement before it is completed.

“Congress should absolutely have the opportunity to review this deal,” Boehner said at a news conference after a closed-door GOP caucus meeting. “We shouldn’t count on the administration, who appears to want a deal at any cost.”

Boehner’s remarks came as Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Democrats closed in on an agreement on a bill that would hand Congress more authority to lift sanctions against Iran — legislation White House officials have warned could derail the delicate talks.

During classified briefings on Capitol Hill Monday and Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry pleaded with lawmakers to hold off on the bill and give the administration more space to strike a deal with Iran by a June 30 deadline.

The Speaker said it was his understanding Corker and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez (D) have “some sort of agreement this morning,” though he has not had a chance to look at it.

Boehner predicted the House would quickly vote on the legislation if it’s passed by the Senate, something House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters a day earlier.

“I’m hopeful the Senate will move the Corker-Menendez bill in the next couple of weeks and frankly I expect the House to take that bill up,” Boehner said.

Asked if he was trying to defeat Obama’s nuclear deal, the Speaker explained he’s just trying to ensure any pact with the Iranians will be “upheld on all sides.”

“From everything I’ve heard about the so-called ‘framework,’ all it is is an agreement to keep talking. I haven’t seen anything concrete come out of this yet,” he said.

“But I’ve got some concerns and I’ve voiced those concerns.”