WASHINGTON (AP) – The House is set to discuss a tough sanctions package aimed at Russia next week, although it’s unclear if it will pass despite strong backing from the Senate.
The House Rules Committee has arranged a meeting regarding the bill on Monday, with a procedural vote anticipated later in the week that could decide its future. Some leading Democratic lawmakers have expressed worries that this legislation significantly broadens President Donald Trump’s authority over tariffs, which they fear he might use against U. S. allies.
This bill is named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S. C., who collaborated with colleagues for over a year to make it happen. The Senate approved the measure with an 86-11 vote about a month after his passing.
The goal of the bill is to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek an end to Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
Zelenskyy Responds
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the House to approve the bill in a post on social media platform X. He emphasized that sanctions should be enacted immediately and must be robust.
“And this is a very important historical moment for the United States. The bill must be passed, voted on, and supported,” Zelenskyy stated. “Beyond that, strong decisions from the U. S. Administration are important. Personal decisions by President Trump. I very much hope we will see that.”
Three lawmakers who are leading Democrats on key congressional committees released a joint statement saying House Democrats strongly support Ukraine but believe this bill might do more harm than good. They urged discussions to create a version of the bill that could gain solid support in both chambers.
“In the meantime, the President has ample authority to expand sanctions on those fueling Russia’s war machine, including those targeted by this bill, and we renew our call on him to do so without further delay,” read their statement from Reps. Gregory Meeks, ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs; Richard Neal, ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee; and Don Beyer, senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee.
Limited Time for Congressional Action
The vote next week likely represents one of the last chances for the House to address this matter before midterms since lawmakers are expected to spend most of September and October campaigning back in their home districts.
This bipartisan package gives the president authority to impose tariffs as high as 100% on five major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas globally, including China and India. It includes exemptions for countries importing less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports while making efforts to cut down their reliance on Russian energy.
The legislation also proposes sanctions against Putin, high-ranking Russian political and military officials, Russian financial institutions, and energy projects tied to Russia. It aims to broaden U. S. sanctions targeting older reflagged oil tankers used by Russia to evade current U. S. restrictions related to oil sales and revenue streams from energy sources in Russia. Additionally, it allows waivers for sanctions or restrictions if Congress receives certification from the president stating it serves national interests.
The package also extends certain sanctions against Iran following Trump’s request for its inclusion in this legislation. The administration has sought ways to balance economic pressure alongside possible military action concerning issues with Iran.
(function() { // Load Facebook SDK unconditionally for embedded posts/videos window. fb Async Init = function() { FB. init({ app Id: ‘1012842788852986’, xfbml: true, version: ‘v18.0’ }); }; (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d. get Elements By Tag Name(s)[0]; if (d. get Element By Id(id)) return; js = d. create Element(s); js. id = id; js. async = true; js. src=”https://connect. facebook. net/en_US/sdk. js”; fjs. parent Node. insert Before(js, fjs); }(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’)); })();
Source link
