WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) joined the chorus criticizing a letter written by 47 Republican Senators and sent to Iranian leaders, regarding White House nuclear weapons negotiations.  Republicans did not like the way these negotiations were going and sent a letter to the Ayatollah warning any agreement can be undone.

Merkley is among those saying the congressional intrusion into negotiations is unprecedented. "This letter was extremely inappropriate.  Now only was in appropriate in how it was done, but to address a foreign government and essentially bypass the president is unprecedented.  How this was done has implications for the president and how he gets to negotiate and then congress gets to address the issue further down the road."

Secretary of State Kerry also called the letter absolutely calculated, unprecedented and un-thought-out.