Democrats Doubt Iran Diplomacy But See No Alternative

Lawmakers are unlikely to stand in the way of negotiations, members and aides told NOTUS.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen

“When you’re digging a hole, you should stop digging,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen said. Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP Images

Democratic lawmakers don’t trust President Donald Trump’s ongoing diplomacy with Iran. They also want the war to be over — meaning their only real choice is to hope the president can keep peace talks going.

Legislators and aides told NOTUS they are not seeing an appetite among Democrats to stymie the negotiations, say by introducing legislation to prevent the U.S. from lifting relief or by pushing to vote down an accord.

“If we stand in the way of an agreement, we own that too,” one staffer said, requesting anonymity to discuss internal conversations.