WASHINGTON — Congressional action on Iran ground to a halt March 4 after Democrats revolted against Republican plans to take up legislation as early as next week.

After a false start following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address, the move left the Senate no closer to passing legislation. Meanwhile, House members made it equally clear that they see no path to passing new restrictions before the March 24 deadline for a framework agreement.

"There is no immediate or urgent need to circumvent the committee process and we are disappointed that you’ve pursued this partisan course of action," Senate Democrats, who co-sponsored legislation mandating a congressional review, wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "We will only vote for this bill after it has gone through the regular mark-up process in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and after the March 24 deadline for the political framework agreement."

The letter was spearheaded by the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and signed by eight other Democrats and one independent. The lawmakers are worried in part that Republicans could try to attach prospective sanctions on Iran to the congressional review bill.