Bipartisan deal in US Senate for new sanctions against Russia, Iran
By
our reporter
14 June 2017
Top leaders in the US Senate reached agreement late Monday night on legislation that would impose new sanctions on Russia. The deal was a major concession by Senate Republicans to the Democratic campaign to charge Russia with intervening in the 2016 US presidential election.
The new provisions against Russia are being added to a sanctions bill directed against Iran that was introduced with widespread bipartisan support and scheduled for final Senate passage today. The anti-Iran bill is being amended to include new sanctions against Russia and restrictions on the ability of the Trump administration to waive those sanctions, or those imposed earlier under the Obama administration at the time of the US-backed ultra-right coup in Ukraine, which overthrew a pro-Russian government there.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed the amendment Monday night after protracted negotiations between Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Mike Crapo, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee; and the ranking Democrats on the two committees, Ben Cardin and Sherrod Brown. Leading Republican war hawks like Senator John McCain and Senator Lindsey Graham joined with the Democrats in pushing for tough anti-Russian provisions.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer declared his support for the anti-Russian amendment, calling the new sanctions “a powerful and bipartisan statement to Russia.”
A statement issued by Schumer’s office said the anti-Russian amendment satisfied the conditions laid down for Democratic support: “Throughout these negotiations, Democrats have insisted that a Russia sanctions amendment accomplishes three things: codify the existing sanctions in…