GOP senator wants 2016 contenders to sign Iran warning letter

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is calling on potential 2016 presidential contenders, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to support a letter Senate Republicans sent to Iran that said they might not honor a nuclear deal over Tehran’s nuclear program after President Obama leaves office.

“I would encourage presidential candidates to join us. We already have four senators on the letter, who were thinking about running for president,” Cotton said Monday during an interview with Fox News’ “Fox and Friends.

He noted that last week former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said he wouldn’t honor an agreement that doesn’t go through Congress.

He claimed that he had spoken privately with other presidential contenders who might endorse the spirit of the new letter.

“And for that matter, I’d encourage Hillary Clinton to join us in saying that Congress must approve any nuclear deal with Iran,” Cotton said.

The letter, spearheaded by Cotton, was signed by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and four Republicans who are widely thought to be weighing a run for the White House: Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Ted Cruz (Texas) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.).

The missive warned Iranian leaders that any deal between Washington and Tehran could be undone by Congress and cautioned that the agreement — which is likely to be at least 10 years in duration — could be nullified once Obama leaves the White House in 2017.

Cotton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, reiterated that stance on Monday.

“Any deal that is not approved by the Congress won’t be accepted by the Congress, now or in the future,” he said.