Republican Rep. Mac Thornberry does not want to see the U.S. "completely" pull out of the Iran nuclear deal.

"I do not want the U.S. to pull completely out because Iran has already gotten the plane load of cash and a lot of the benefit of it," Thornberry told "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo."

Thornberry, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, was referring to the Obama administration quietly delivering $400 million to Iran by plane in January 2016 to resolve a dispute over a failed arms deal made before the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Iran released four American prisoners on the same day the cash was delivered.

Thornberry stressed strengthening the U.S. military is "more important than whatever happens to a piece of paper."

"I do want us to look at everything that Iran is doing. Their missile program, the problems they're causing in Yemen, Syria," he said.

Thornberry has previously called the pact " a bad deal for America and our allies."

President Trump is expected to announce this week that the Iran nuclear deal does not meet the legal threshold for the U.S. to remain in the pact.