WASHINGTON — House Speaker John Boehner says he hopes the Obama administration fails to broker a deal with Iran because leaders in Tehran are not serious about giving up their alleged pursuit of nuclear arms.
Just days after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved a measure that would establish a process under which Congress could review a deal, Boehner took to cable news to say he is opposed to any potential pact.
"It just appears to me that the administration wants a deal at almost any cost," Boehner told the Fox Business Channel. "That's a bad way to negotiate.
What's more, the Ohio Republican doubts the US and five other world powers can secure "a real agreement" with the Iranian regime.
"I would hope not," he said when asked if he thinks there will be a final deal.
"I've never been optimistic that we'd get to an agreement, a real agreement that would stop the nuclear threat from Iran," Boehner said, "and I don't think the Iranians have any intention of giving up their desire for a nuclear weapon."
The six countries and Iran recently agreed to the framework of a deal the Obama administration says would keep Iran from fielding a nuclear weapon. Many Republican lawmakers, however, disagree.
Democrats on Capitol Hill accuse many Republicans with preferring war over a diplomatic pact on Iran's nuclear program; Republicans counter that no deal is better than a bad deal.
Meantime, the speaker promised Congress in coming months will find a way to raise the nation's borrowing limit and avoid a US fiscal default. But he doubts it will be taken care of "sooner rather than later" because "that's not the way Washington works."
But he's not sure just yet how the debt ceiling will be raised.
"I don't know yet," Boehner said with a grin. "When I know, I'll let you know."
Email: jbennett@defensenews.com
Twitter: @BennettJohnT
