The US Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday for new sanctions punishing Russian Federation for meddling in the 2016 US election, and to force President Donald Trump to get Congress' approval before easing any existing sanctions.
"But in the last eight months, what price has Russian Federation paid for attacking American democracy?"
"The bill includes new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile programme and other activities not related to the worldwide nuclear agreement reached with the United States and other world powers".
"Time and again, the Obama administration abused its executive authority to bypass Congress, and this legislation ensures that Congress both now and in the future will be able to weigh in on behalf of the American people", Corker said. "It provides for actors undermining cyber security being subject to sanctions".
The measure also asserts a role for Congress if the White House opts to ease any sanctions against Moscow. "We can have congressional hearings, we can put a spotlight on it".
Trump has repeatedly and openly doubted the intelligence community's finding that Russian Federation meddled in the presidential election. "And all during that process, the sanctions remain in place".
Then-President Barack Obama in late December ordered sanctions on Russian spy agencies, closed two Russian compounds and expelled 35 diplomats the USA said were really spies.
Billionaire Moshiri to spearhead Everton’s Italian job
Indeed, it is only by virtue of Falcinelli’s prowess in the final third that Crotone still remains in contention to survive. In Romelu Lukaku, Koeman has a player with the capability of firing Everton to far headier heights than seventh place.
The vote was on a procedural motion to attach the Russian sanctions provisions to a larger package of Iran sanctions that also has bipartisan support.
McCain described existing punitive measures against Russian Federation as "modest" and "reversible at the discretion of the president". John McCain of Arizona, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said ahead of the vote.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered tepid support for the sanctions measure, telling the House Foreign Affairs Committee he agreed "with the sentiment" among lawmakers that Russian Federation must be held accountable for its meddling in the election.
The 97-2 vote, which came as part of a broader debate over sanctions on Iran, marked a rare spot of agreement between Democrats and Republicans, who said they hoped it would be the beginning of more such deals.
Several more votes on the bill are scheduled in the Senate in the coming days before it can go to the House of Representatives. "This bill demonstrates to the Iranian regime that they will not be tolerated".
Under the resolution, Iran is "called upon" not to undertake any activity related to missiles "designed to be capable of" delivering nuclear weapons.
Comments