US Congress ready to move forward on Russia sanctions bill, but Trump wants changes, Politico reports
Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are prepared to move forward on a bill that would impose harsher sanctions on Russia and buyers of Russian fossil fuels, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on July 9.
The bipartisan legislation, introduced on April 1 by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, seeks to impose a 500% tariff on imports from countries that continue purchasing Russian oil and raw materials.
"(Russian President) Vladimir Putin has shown an unwillingness to be reasonable and to talk seriously about brokering a peace, and I think we have to send him a message — that’s my view," Johnson told reporters on July 9, according to Politico.
Johnson's comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was "very strongly" considering supporting the toughened sanctions because he was "not happy" with Putin.
Thune also said lawmakers had made "substantial progress" on the bill in talks with the White House and said he expected the bill to come up for a vote before senators go on an extended recess in August.
"Senate Republicans are committed to working with the House and White House to get this legislation through Congress and on to the president's desk," he said.
A date for a vote on the bill has not been set. Trump has reportedly pushed to delay a vote as he works with senators to water down the legislation, softening the impact of the sanctions law.
A senior administration official told Politico that Trump will only support the bill if it preserves the president's ultimate authority over U.S. foreign policy.
"The current version would subject the president's foreign policy decisions to micromanagement by Congress through a joint resolution of disapproval process. … That's a nonstarter for us," the official said.
"The administration is not going to be micromanaged by the Congress on the president's foreign policy. The bill needs a waiver authority that is complete."
Despite multiple threats to slap additional sanctions on Moscow, Trump has passed no new penalties on Russia since he took office in January. In some cases, he has even eased restrictions. Trump's lax approach to sanctions has triggered an investigation by Senate Democrats.
