Senators grill Kerry on Iran nuclear deal

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Secretary of State John Kerry is taking some heat for the nuclear deal he made with Iran.

During a hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Thursday, Republican Senators argued that he'd been fleeced and bamboozled by Iranian negotiators. 

The White House celebration of the deal with Iran is officially over.

But Thursday on Capitol Hill, it was clear there is still a lot of work to be done.

"One way we know this is a bad deal is that the more we learn, the more questions we have," said Representative John Boehner.

The Obama Administration may not need congressional support to make the deal a reality, but the backing of Congress would make the process a lot easier.

And right now leaders in both parties seem skeptical. 

"I believe it weakens the national security and it makes the world a more dangerous place," said Senator Marco Rubio.

"I'm seriously concerned about lifting of the arms embargo that creeped it's way into this deal," said Senator Robert Menendez.

Secretary of State John Kerry, who brokered the deal, fought back, arguing that this deal makes the world a safer place.

"We set out to dismantle their ability to be able to build a nuclear weapon and we've achieved that," Kerry said.

The only way Congress can outright kill the deal is passing a veto-proof majority resolution. That would mean bringing over several Democrats in opposition in the White House.

Many of those Democrats believe the White House deal may not be perfect, but say Republicans are not offering a better option.

"We have not heard any viable alternatives from those who oppose the implementation," said Representative Nancy Pelosi. 

If Congress votes against the deal at the end of the 60-day review period, President Barack Obama says he'll veto it. 

And that will set up a major congressional override showdown with the entire world watching and the future of the Middle East in the balance.