On Thursday, the House of Representatives approved a measure that would require the White House to report to Congress on Iranian compliance with regards to its nuclear program. The measure, included in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and co-authored by Reps. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) and Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), requires the President to submit to Congress a report verifying the regime’s compliance with the terms of the interim agreement signed last year, as well as “an assessment of the overall state of the nuclear program of Iran.”

The House’s approval of the measure comes weeks after the release of audio, taped in January, of Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes telling progressive groups that the White House was structuring its agreement with Iran in a way designed to circumvent congressional oversight.

Meanwhile, administration officials held private briefings Thursday with top U.S. lawmakers regarding the ongoing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear weapons program. The White House had been invited but declined to send a representative to testify on Capitol Hill on Wednesday along with a panel of experts on the Iranian nuclear program.

Experts who did testify told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that coordination with Congress would be critical in securing a good deal with the Islamic Republic. Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) Founder and President David Albright, who noted that the administration “has gotten itself into some perplexing boxes,” suggested “a need for Congress and the Administration to work together” going forward.

Dr. Gary Samore, who until January 2013 was President Barack Obama’s point man on counter-proliferation issues, underscored the need for congressional cooperation, telling senators “it’s clear that if the talks fail […] the Iranians and others will try to blame Congress as being the main culprit here.” Samore noted that “an approach between the Administration and Congress that defines and specifies the magnitude of the sanctions and yet leaves enough discretion so that the Administration can accept it is the most effective way to show that we’re acting in a united way and really deny the Iranians the ability to blame Congress for blowing up these negotiations.”

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