Senate proposes new Russia sanctions as punishment for meddling in election
The US Senate is expected on Wednesday to take a major step toward new sanctions against Russia as punishment for meddling in the US presidential election.
The legislation would also restrict the White House from easing sanctions in the future without congressional approval.
Analysis 'Nervous' Jeff Sessions' attempt at Trump-like bravado falls flat
Analysis: In his Senate testimony on Russia, the attorney general’s default position was ‘can’t recall’ and vagueness was the order of the day
Read moreThe amendment, which will be attached to a bill that would strengthen sanctions on Iran, would codify the existing sanctions against Russia established by Barack Obama’s executive orders and impose new sanctions against Moscow for its interference in the 2016 elections, aggression in Ukraine and support for the Syrian government.
The agreement would also establish a process for Congress to review any attempt by Donald Trump to relax, suspend or terminate the sanctions.
Under the amendment, sanctions would be imposed on Russians who have been found guilty of human rights abuses, have supplied weapons to the Assad regime or have conducted cyber-attacks on behalf of the Russian government, among other categories. The measures would target key sectors of the Russian economy, including mining, metals, shipping and railways.
On Tuesday, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell moved to set up a final vote as early as this week on the Iran sanctions bill, with senators expected to clear the way for its passage on Wednesday.
In December, the Obama administration responded to Russia’s provocations with a slate of sweeping measures that included the expulsion of “intelligence operatives” and sanctions on Russia’s central intelligence services. Trump has repeatedly downplayed – and denied – the conclusion by the intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the US election to benefit his campaign.
The agreement offers a rare display of bipartisanship in Congress, which remains bitterly divided over how to proceed on healthcare, tax reform and the budget.
The amendment was negotiated by Senate leaders from both parties on the foreign and banking committees amid intense scrutiny of Russia’s role in the US presidential election.
The steps come as special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating any links or collusion between the president’s associates and Russian officials.
Multiple congressional committees are investigating whether associates of Trump were in touch with Moscow as it interfered in the election. In a fractious evidence session on Tuesday, attorney general Jeff Sessions claimed he was the victim of “scurrilous and false allegations” as he faced questions about three occasions when he met with the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
Sessions was unwilling to answer questions about his conversations with Trump, repeatedly claimed he could not recall details of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.
And the country’s top justice official said he had not received or ever requested a briefing on Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that the bill would send a “powerful signal to President Trump and the White House that the concern that he might weaken or lift sanctions against Putin is a bipartisan concern, one that the Senate is not going to ignore”. Schumer predicted the bill would pass with broad bipartisan support.
Asked about the sanctions during a Senate foreign relations committee hearing on Tuesday, Secretary of state Rex Tillerson called the amendment “ill-timed” and said the administration would like to have “the flexibility to turn that heat up” on Russia.
Jeff Sessions calls accusations of Russia collusion an 'appalling lie'
Read more“We have some channels that are open where we’re starting to talk,” Tillerson said. “I think what I wouldn’t want to do is to close the channels off with something new that’s ill-timed.”
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham has predicted that Trump would ultimately sign the bill – but warned that if he did not, Congress would override his veto.
“Any member of the Congress who doesn’t want to punish Russia for what they’ve done is betraying democracy,” Graham said on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday.
“And if the president doesn’t sign this bill to punish Russia, he would be betraying democracy.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/14/senate-proposes-new-russia-sanctions-meddling-election
The legislation would also restrict the White House from easing sanctions in the future without congressional approval.
Analysis 'Nervous' Jeff Sessions' attempt at Trump-like bravado falls flat
Analysis: In his Senate testimony on Russia, the attorney general’s default position was ‘can’t recall’ and vagueness was the order of the day
Read moreThe amendment, which will be attached to a bill that would strengthen sanctions on Iran, would codify the existing sanctions against Russia established by Barack Obama’s executive orders and impose new sanctions against Moscow for its interference in the 2016 elections, aggression in Ukraine and support for the Syrian government.
The agreement would also establish a process for Congress to review any attempt by Donald Trump to relax, suspend or terminate the sanctions.
Under the amendment, sanctions would be imposed on Russians who have been found guilty of human rights abuses, have supplied weapons to the Assad regime or have conducted cyber-attacks on behalf of the Russian government, among other categories. The measures would target key sectors of the Russian economy, including mining, metals, shipping and railways.
On Tuesday, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell moved to set up a final vote as early as this week on the Iran sanctions bill, with senators expected to clear the way for its passage on Wednesday.
In December, the Obama administration responded to Russia’s provocations with a slate of sweeping measures that included the expulsion of “intelligence operatives” and sanctions on Russia’s central intelligence services. Trump has repeatedly downplayed – and denied – the conclusion by the intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the US election to benefit his campaign.
The agreement offers a rare display of bipartisanship in Congress, which remains bitterly divided over how to proceed on healthcare, tax reform and the budget.
The amendment was negotiated by Senate leaders from both parties on the foreign and banking committees amid intense scrutiny of Russia’s role in the US presidential election.
The steps come as special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating any links or collusion between the president’s associates and Russian officials.
Multiple congressional committees are investigating whether associates of Trump were in touch with Moscow as it interfered in the election. In a fractious evidence session on Tuesday, attorney general Jeff Sessions claimed he was the victim of “scurrilous and false allegations” as he faced questions about three occasions when he met with the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
Sessions was unwilling to answer questions about his conversations with Trump, repeatedly claimed he could not recall details of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.
And the country’s top justice official said he had not received or ever requested a briefing on Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that the bill would send a “powerful signal to President Trump and the White House that the concern that he might weaken or lift sanctions against Putin is a bipartisan concern, one that the Senate is not going to ignore”. Schumer predicted the bill would pass with broad bipartisan support.
Asked about the sanctions during a Senate foreign relations committee hearing on Tuesday, Secretary of state Rex Tillerson called the amendment “ill-timed” and said the administration would like to have “the flexibility to turn that heat up” on Russia.
Jeff Sessions calls accusations of Russia collusion an 'appalling lie'
Read more“We have some channels that are open where we’re starting to talk,” Tillerson said. “I think what I wouldn’t want to do is to close the channels off with something new that’s ill-timed.”
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham has predicted that Trump would ultimately sign the bill – but warned that if he did not, Congress would override his veto.
“Any member of the Congress who doesn’t want to punish Russia for what they’ve done is betraying democracy,” Graham said on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday.
“And if the president doesn’t sign this bill to punish Russia, he would be betraying democracy.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/14/senate-proposes-new-russia-sanctions-meddling-election