Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. | AP Photo House Republicans revolt against Iran vote House Republican leaders are facing a major rank-and-file uprising over plans to vote on a resolution to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal.

House Republican leaders are, once again, in a jam.

Just one day after returning from a monthlong summer recess, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) have found themselves stymied on what they believed would be an easy vote: disapproving of President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran.


Never mind that there is not one Congressional Republican who supports the accord. Never mind that the disapproval vote would've seen more than a dozen Democrats buck a president of their own party. House Republicans are now resisting Boehner's attempt to bring the bill to the floor, because they believe Obama has not disclosed to Congress what they call "side deals" between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The House GOP is discussing a new plan, which they plan to present to the rank-and-file at a 4 p.m. meeting Wednesday, that would attempt to pass legislation with three separate concepts. They are moving toward voting on a measure asserting Obama did not submit all elements of the agreement with Iran, a concept first raised by Reps. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) and Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), a former member of GOP leadership. Second, Republicans are working on a bill to try to prevent Obama from lifting sanctions against Iran. Third, the House would vote on a resolution to approve of the Iran pact. The original plan was to vote on a disapproval resolution.

The strategy has not been finalized, and is subject to change.

Whatever course House Republicans choose will have almost no practical impact. Obama has won the support of enough Democrats in the Senate to sustain his veto. The move would force Democrats to vote for the agreement, instead of against disapproval.

But, as of next week, Obama can implement the multi-nation agreement with Iran. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called Roskam's plan "cute," and said that no matter what, Obama's deal goes into effect on Sept. 17.

House and Senate Republicans find themselves deeply split. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who drafted the process that gave Congress the right to review the agreement, doesn't think Roskam's motion is worth considering. Corker said the Senate will vote on a disapproval resolution,

"Where does that take you?" Corker asked Wednesday, speaking of Roskam's plan to halt the vote because Obama has not submitted the so-called side deals. "I think we know where the votes are … We ought to stay on the substance of why we oppose this deal."

For Boehner, McCarthy and Scalise, this is a serious warning sign. They are entering a month that will set the tone for the rest of their congressionalcareers. If they're struggling on how to register their opposition to the Iran deal — which they're unanimously against — how will they deal with a potential government shutdown over funding Planned Parenthood, over which there's real dissension among GOP lawmakers?

It's a question many senior Republicans are asking Wednesday.

Boehner's leadership team is under a serious time crunch. Government funding expires on Sept. 30. After this week, they'll have just over seven work days to figure it out.

Lurking in the background is constant rumbling from members of the House Freedom Caucus, who are threatening to force a vote to remove Boehner from the speakership. The Ohio Republican denied that that will make his job harder.

"I've got widespread support in the conference, and I appreciate that," Boehner said Wednesday morning

Much of this discontent caught the leadership by surprise. As of Wednesday morning, they were planning a robust debate Thursday on the disapproval resolution, followed by a Friday vote.

But by Wednesday morning, Boehner seemed to know his plan needed to change. And it was mostly because Roskam, who lost a race to Scalise in 2014.

"Certainly (there is) some interest amongst the ideas offered by [Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo], Mr. Roskam," Boehner said. "We're going to continue to have those conversations this morning."

Burgess Everett and Lauren French contributed.

