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The bill approved by the Senate will face obstacles in the House of Representatives.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are preparing to vote on a sweeping sanctions bill against Russia, which the senators overwhelmingly supported in August. However, the measure now faces a tough test in the House, where Democrats fear it would give President Donald Trump excessive power over trade policy. This is reported by Politico.
The Senate-approved bill, backed by the White House, will finally be considered by the House of Representatives. Previously, Republican leaders did not bring it to the floor for a vote after lawmakers returned from the August recess.
Many Democrats in the House, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have opposed the bill out of concern that it would grant Trump broad and potentially risky new authorities to impose tariffs.
Republicans in the House were also fairly restrained in their enthusiasm for the measure. After the sudden death of the bill’s leading advocate, Senator Lindsey Graham, support for the bill briefly strengthened, but that momentum faded.
The House Committee on Rules designated a Monday afternoon hearing to consider the bill.
Supporters say it would provide Trump with the tools needed to pressure Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to halt the war against Ukraine.
The bill envisions mandatory sanctions on Russia’s leadership and energy sector, as well as on those who cooperate with Russia’s defense industry and the so-called shadow fleet.
At the same time, the measure would allow Trump to impose 100% tariffs on the largest buyers of Russian oil. This raises concerns among Democrats, given the White House’s willingness to use tariffs against both U.S. allies and their opponents.
“Donald Trump already has sufficient authority to impose sanctions on companies, individuals, and vessels that support Russia’s military machine, which continues its deadly assault on Ukraine,” said Democrats Gregor Mics and Richard Neal in a joint statement with House Democrat Don Beyer and Senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren earlier this month.
“Congress does not need to give the president a green light for new tariff authority so that he can apply these sanctions against Russia today,” they added.
“The White House is pressuring Johnson to push this bill through because Trump is desperate to gain new tariff powers, not because he needs new tools against Russia,” Mics said on Friday.
After Friday’s announcement of the forthcoming vote, supporters of the bill immediately urged the House to back it.
“Great news that the House will vote on the urgently needed sanctions bill against Russia,” wrote leading Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrat Jeanne Shaheen on social media. “Ukrainian civilians continue to die because of Putin’s military machine, and this bill will deal a powerful blow to Kremlin revenues. It is time to pass it and force Putin to the negotiating table.”
In August the Senate supported the bill 86 with votes against 11.
“Russia should be flooded with sanctions until there is nothing left of it,” said a European official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The bill is not perfect, but it will give the administration additional levers to pressure Russia and will be an extraordinarily important political and symbolic signal of support for Ukraine.”
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