The Hill – Dec. 03, 2015 – A bipartisan pair of senators is pledging a “rigorous” oversight of the Iran nuclear deal before the agreement is formally implemented.
 
Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the committee’s ranking member, on Thursday sent a letter to President Obama outlining their plan for probing the deal, and asking that top administration officials agree to testify before the Foreign Relations Committee.
“As the [deal] with Iran moves toward Implementation Day, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will initiate a rigorous program to ensure effective Congressional monitoring and oversight of this agreement as well as its regional and nonproliferation implications,” the senators wrote.
According to the letter, the senators are expected to hold a hearing this month to discuss the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) report on the possible previous military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program.
In January, they are planning to hold a hearing on Iran’s compliance with the agreement, as well as Iran’s support for terrorism and its ballistic missile program. They are requesting for Stephen Mull, the lead coordinator for implementing the deal, as well as the State Department’s top official for political affairs to testify. 
They’ll also hold a hearing on the deal on “implementation day.” While that date hasn’t been determined, it’s expected to place by mid-2016. Corker and Cardin note that they want Secretary of State John Kerry, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to testify at that time.
The committee’s oversight of the deal will continue after it’s been implemented, with the senators noting that they’ll expect monthly briefings for Foreign Relations Committee staff and a briefing four times a year for lawmakers.