Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) has expressed concerns over the recent Iran prison swap deal, stating that Congress should be concerned if the deal becomes “a secret deal.”
Turner’s concerns stem from the fact that Congress has not yet received the terms of the deal, and that the Biden administration could be pursuing an “informal deal” compared to a formal deal that would have Congressional oversight.
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Though Turner expressed support of bringing home the United States residents from Iran, his concern primarily is with how the administration will handle the deal, he stated on CBS’s Face the Nation.
“We want the administration to work diligently to bring American home- Americans home, whether Iran or Russia or elsewhere, and our hearts certainly go out to them,” said Turner. “But in this instance, the administration is signaling that this is part of a broader deal concerning Iran’s enrichment program and if that becomes a secret deal, then that’s obviously a great concern to Congress.”
Days ago, President Biden reached an agreement with Iran to free multiple U.S. citizens who were imprisoned by the regime. I told @MargBrennan on @FaceTheNation that Congress should be concerned if the administration made secret concessions to Iran related to its nuclear program. pic.twitter.com/GvZbFbixJu
— US Rep. Mike Turner (@RepMikeTurner) August 13, 2023
The deal that President Joe Biden reached in regards to the prisoner swap was announced on Thursday, with five U.S. citizens from Iran receiving their freedom in exchange for several imprisoned Iranians, and $6 billion in Iranian assets unfrozen. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said the U.S. would continue to monitor the U.S. citizens, four of whom have been placed under house arrest in a Tehran hotel.
So far, three American prisoners have been identified as Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, Emad Shargi; each were sentenced to 10 years in prison. The other two have opted to remain private.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, a 2024 presidential candidate, has criticized the deal, saying that while he welcomed the return of the imprisoned Americans, the president had authorized “the largest ransom payment in American history to the Mullahs in Tehran.”
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“Iran will now use this money to produce drones for Russia and fund terrorism against us and Israel. China and Russia, who are also holding Americans hostages, now know the price has just gone up,” Pence added. “Any rogue nation that takes innocent Americans hostage during my Administration will be met with American strength; they are forewarned that we will not pay ransoms.”
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), a frequent Biden ally and senior House Democrat, has also criticized the deal, warning that could incentivize “criminal activities to profit from them.” Hoyer added that this deal could inspire more “kidnappings and shakedowns.”
