The White House would prefer Congress handle the Iran war\u2019s endgame something like this: Pony up, and don\u2019t ask too many questions.<\/p>\n

That approach is grating on many congressional Republicans, who are chafing at the idea that President Donald Trump\u2019s administration is asking for hundreds of billions of dollars in fresh military funding without briefing most of Congress on the cease-fire agreement Trump signed<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n

As House lawmakers returned to the Capitol this week for the first time since the \u201cmemorandum of understanding\u201d was inked, even GOP members who are generally supportive of the president said they had a hard time understanding why administration had not been more forthcoming with details on the agreement and the nuclear talks it sets up.<\/p>\n

Rep. Mike Simpson<\/a> of Idaho, a senior appropriator, told reporters \u201cit wouldn’t hurt\u201d to get a briefing from Trump officials this week \u201cbecause mostly what I hear is what I hear from the news.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even ahead of briefing, a swath of angrier Republicans has grown livid at the text of the Trump-signed memo, which includes an agreement to lift U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil sales and pursue a $300 billion Iranian \u201creconstruction\u201d plan in order to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the hostilities.<\/p>\n

Vice President JD Vance told reporters last week that the administration was “quite confident that we can temporarily lift those sanctions without going to Congress and seeking their approval.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Administration acts like they want a deal much more than the Ayatollah regime,\u201d Rep. Don Bacon<\/a> (R-Neb.) said in a text message, joining multiple hawkish senators<\/a> in expressing dismay. \u201cCommitting $300B in reconstruction, sanctions relief, pulling back forces near Iran and putting pressure on Israel looks like weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump sought to quiet the internal skeptics Tuesday, telling reporters that anyone who has been critical of the deal \u201chas to be educated, even if they’re friends of mine.\u201d He is set to travel to Capitol Hill Wednesday to sign a bipartisan housing bill and meet with restless GOP senators who may press him for a defense of the agreement.<\/p>\n

But the vast majority of House members have not heard anything beyond administration talking points nearly a week after details of the memorandum first emerged. The White House sent the full text<\/a> of the agreement to Congress Thursday \u2014 after Trump had signed it and administration officials had briefed reporters on the document.<\/p>\n

Speaker Mike Johnson<\/a> (R-La.) told reporters Tuesday he expects House members will receive a briefing on Iran this week. Later, Johnson indicated in an interview a planned briefing from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to a select group of House Republicans Wednesday was the only briefing lawmakers should expect for now.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe secretary is the ultimate authority on it, so I’m sure he’ll provide a lot of information,\u201d Johnson said of Hegseth, who was not directly involved in the peace negotiations.<\/p>\n

He did not commit in the interview to additional briefings for a wider swath of lawmakers: \u201cWe’ll have to see. I mean, we’ll see what the secretary does, and then evaluate after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some White House officials, including Vance, briefed select groups of GOP lawmakers last week on the agreement, including party leaders and top lawmakers on foreign affairs committees. Sen. Lindsey Graham<\/a> of South Carolina, a GOP defense hawk who was initially skeptical of the deal, said he spoke on the phone with Steve Witkoff, Trump\u2019s special envoy to the Middle East. The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Jim Himes<\/a> (D-Conn.), said his panel has not been briefed on the agreement.<\/p>\n

The grumbling from Hill Republicans is shaping up to be a major pain point as Trump officials ramp up pressure to approve new Pentagon spending. A top Defense official told key lawmakers last week that a $78 billion emergency infusion is needed to pay for the Iran war \u2014 on top of the $350 billion in defense funding Trump has demanded Republicans deliver in a new party-line bill.<\/p>\n