House passes sweeping sanctions bill on Iran and Russia
The Hill, July 25, 2017 - The GOP-controlled House easily passed bipartisan legislation on Tuesday to limit the Trump administration’s ability to lift sanctions on Russia.
Three Republicans --Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Jimmy Duncan (Tenn.) and Thomas Massie (Ky.) -- voted against the bill, which passed 419-3.
“This strong oversight is necessary. It is appropriate. After all, it is Congress that the Constitution empowers to regulate commerce with foreign nations,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said.
Trump expressed a desire to mend relations with Russia during the 2016 campaign, and is reportedly considering restoring Russian access to two diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland that the Obama administration seized last year as punishment for the country’s election meddling.
The House is scheduled to depart Washington for the August recess at the end of this week, meaning the sanctions package will likely be its biggest legislative accomplishment to date.
The GOP-controlled Congress has not been able to send bills fulfilling major campaign pledges such as repealing the healthcare law and reforming the tax code to Trump's desk thus far.
The bill establishes new sanctions on Iran and North Korea, in addition to Russia.
Under the House-passed bill, existing sanctions on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine and interference in the 2016 election would be codified into law. New sanctions would go into effect against Iran for its ballistic missile development, while North Korea’s shipping industry and people who use slave labor would be targeted amid the isolated nation’s efforts to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The sanctions legislation has been stalled in the House since the Senate passed the legislation by a 98-2 vote last month.
The first snag came from House lawmakers who noted that the Senate bill violated the constitutional requirement that all revenue-raising measures originate in the lower chamber.
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee is supportive of the sanctions package, but expressed concern that it might not have a smooth path to passage in the Senate.
“It seems we may be on the floor before we ironed out all our differences with the other body,” Engel said, citing the late addition of North Korea sanctions. “I hope we don’t face further delays when this bill gets back to the other house.”
Three Republicans --Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Jimmy Duncan (Tenn.) and Thomas Massie (Ky.) -- voted against the bill, which passed 419-3.
“This strong oversight is necessary. It is appropriate. After all, it is Congress that the Constitution empowers to regulate commerce with foreign nations,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said.
Trump expressed a desire to mend relations with Russia during the 2016 campaign, and is reportedly considering restoring Russian access to two diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland that the Obama administration seized last year as punishment for the country’s election meddling.
The House is scheduled to depart Washington for the August recess at the end of this week, meaning the sanctions package will likely be its biggest legislative accomplishment to date.
The GOP-controlled Congress has not been able to send bills fulfilling major campaign pledges such as repealing the healthcare law and reforming the tax code to Trump's desk thus far.
The bill establishes new sanctions on Iran and North Korea, in addition to Russia.
Under the House-passed bill, existing sanctions on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine and interference in the 2016 election would be codified into law. New sanctions would go into effect against Iran for its ballistic missile development, while North Korea’s shipping industry and people who use slave labor would be targeted amid the isolated nation’s efforts to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The sanctions legislation has been stalled in the House since the Senate passed the legislation by a 98-2 vote last month.
The first snag came from House lawmakers who noted that the Senate bill violated the constitutional requirement that all revenue-raising measures originate in the lower chamber.
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee is supportive of the sanctions package, but expressed concern that it might not have a smooth path to passage in the Senate.
“It seems we may be on the floor before we ironed out all our differences with the other body,” Engel said, citing the late addition of North Korea sanctions. “I hope we don’t face further delays when this bill gets back to the other house.”
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