House leaders agreed to vote on an expanded version of the bill after incorporating a roster of sanctions aimed at freezing North Korea’s nuclear program and draining the government of revenue it uses to fund it.
The White House has opposed part of the legislation mandating a congressional review if President Donald Trump seeks to ease the sanctions against Moscow.
The Russia sanctions bill cleared the Senate in June on a 98-2 vote but stalled in the House.
Critically, the sanctions could only be lifted with congressional approval – a departure from the flexibility presidents are traditionally given to conduct foreign policy.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., announced Saturday morning that a vote on the bill – the Russia, Iran and North Korea Sanctions Act – will take place Tuesday.
Members of Congress were also keen to impose sanctions against Russian Federation for its meddling in the 2016 presidential election, which US intelligence agencies say is not in doubt despite Moscow’s denials. Hey Dems, Russia won’t define 2018, so why not fix your party’s problems instead?
The Democrats, however, wanted it for Russian Federation, believing President Trump to be conspiring to ease sanctions on them, despite him having made no move to do so in the last six months.
The White House has sought to change a bill that would toughen sanctions on Moscow for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.
The White House unsuccessfully lobbied Republican leadership to strip that provision from the bill.
House and Senate negotiators brushed aside White House objections Saturday and reached agreement on a broad sanctions bill that will make it more hard for President Trump to unilaterally ease or end punitive measures against Moscow. “I believe the proposed changes to the bill have helped to clarify the intent of members of Congress as well as express solidarity with our closest allies in countering Russian aggression and holding the Kremlin accountable for their destabilizing activities”.
“The legislation ensures that both the Majority and Minority are able to exercise our oversight role over the Administration’s implementation of sanctions”, Hoyer said in a statement. But if Trump were to veto the bill, he risks sparking an outcry from Republicans and Democrats and having his decision overturned.
Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the revised legislation was “the product of intense negotiations”. Some expressed concerns it would mean Congress would have to vote on approving or blocking licenses for US businesses, an authority many want to remain with the Treasury Department.
To respond to concerns from energy companies, the agreement reached will ensure that new sanctions do not affect a major pipeline used to transport oil from Kazakhstan through Russian Federation to Ukraine. Democrats and anti-Trump conservatives have been skeptical of this stance. The measure would apply terrorism sanctions to the country’s Revolutionary Guards and enforce an arms embargo.