GOP senators slam Biden administration for working with Russia on a new nuclear deal with Iran

Sen. Jim Risch tells Biden: "Mr. President, you're the only one in America doing business with the Russians;” Sen. Cruz: “The best thing that ever happened to the ayatollahs was Joe Biden becoming president”

Republican senators convened a press conference on Wednesday to make a direct appeal to President Joe Biden against what is shaping up to be a favorable nuclear deal with Iran.

The GOP group blasted the administration’s handling of negotiations in Vienna, with Russia setting the tone on behalf of world powers, all the while causing damage and bloodshed in Ukraine.

“Mr. President, you’re the only one in America doing business with the Russians. Stop doing business with the Russians! Don't have them negotiating for us,” said Sen. Jim Ritsch.

The Idaho senator also criticized the pace in which negotiations with Iran seem to be wrapping up, saying.

“This doesn’t need to be done right now and particularly it doesn’t need to be done when we have the problems going on that we have in Ukraine,” he said. “We should walk.”

Ritsch explained that two components are needed for any negotiations to succeed: a common objective and parties acting in good faith.

“You have neither with the Iranians,” he stressed. “Their objective is to have a nuclear weapon... they will do whatever they have to do to get that.”

The Russians are doing the negotiations on behalf of the United States, Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming said.

“You turn on the TV and radio and see what the Russians are doing in Ukraine. How in the world can we allow them to negotiate on our behalf?”

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz argued that the Biden administration has been “bending over backwards to surrender to the ayatollahs,” while allowing Iran to evade the most significant sanctions and return to selling over a million barrels of oil a day.

“The best thing that ever happened to the Ayatollahs was Joe Biden becoming president,” Cruz said. "This Iran Deal, if and when it is announced, will be a massive win for Vladimir Putin,” he stressed, noting that it is going to be “worse than the Obama deal.”

Cruz added that the Biden administration is incoherent and “makes no sense” since it imposes sanctions on Russia while also “creating a massive subsidy” for them.

“Our enemies are stronger today because of the weakness of this administration,” he added.

Sen. Bill Hagerty slammed the administration for not changing its course of restrictions on the U.S. energy sector, while working with adversaries like Iran, Venezuela or turning to OPEC to increase production.

"What we have is an administration that would rather deal with international killers than with American drillers," Hagerty said.

Watch the full press conference here.