Trump open to signing Russia sanctions
legislation: official
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[July 24, 2017]
By Idrees Ali
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said
on Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump was open to signing
legislation toughening sanctions on Russia after Senate and House
leaders reached agreement on a bill late last week.
Congressional Democrats said on Saturday they had agreed with
Republicans on a deal allowing new sanctions targeting Russia, Iran and
North Korea in a bill that would limit any potential effort by Trump to
try to lift sanctions against Moscow.
"We support where the legislation is now and will continue working with
the House and Senate to put those tough sanctions in place on Russia
until the situation in Ukraine is fully resolved and it certainly isn't
right now," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told ABC's "This
Week with George Stephanopoulos" program.
A White House official said the administration's view of the legislation
evolved after changes were made, including the addition of sanctions on
North Korea.
The official said the administration "supports the direction the bill is
headed, but won't weigh in conclusively until there is a final piece of
legislation and no more changes are being made."
Anthony Scaramucci, Trump's new communications director, said Trump had
not yet decided whether he would sign the bill.
"My guess is ... that he's going to make that decision shortly,"
Scaramucci told CNN's "State of the Union."
Trump has faced resistance from Republican and Democratic lawmakers for
his pledge to pursue warmer relations with Moscow. His administration
has been bogged down by investigations of possible ties between his 2016
campaign and Russia. Trump has said his campaign did not collude with
Russia.
With the bill, Republicans and Democrats are seeking to punish Russia
for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and for meddling in the
2016 presidential election. Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied
any interference in the U.S. democratic process last year.
VOTE EXPECTED ON TUESDAY
The House is expected to vote on the sanctions bill on Tuesday.
The legislation would require the president to submit to Congress a
report on proposed actions that would "significantly alter" U.S. policy
toward Russia, including easing sanctions or returning diplomatic
properties in Maryland and New York that former President Barack Obama
ordered vacated in December.
Congress would have at least 30 days to hold hearings and then vote to
uphold or reject Trump's proposed changes.
If Trump were to veto the bill, he would run the risk of an embarrassing
political setback if Congress were to override his veto.
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President Donald Trump at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk,
Virginia, U.S. July 22, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
In recent weeks, Trump administration officials have met with lawmakers
to argue against parts of the Senate version of the bill, including the
requirement that Trump obtain Congress' permission before easing
sanctions.
The sanctions bill, known as the Countering Iran's Destabilizing
Activities Act, was passed by the Senate a month ago but held up in
the House of Representatives after Republicans proposed including
sanctions on North Korea.
Lawmakers, including Republican Senator John Thune and Senator Ben
Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
said on Sunday the bill had broad bipartisan support.
"I think (it) will pass probably overwhelmingly again in the Senate
and with a veto-proof majority," Thune, a member of the Republican
leadership, told "Fox News Sunday."
In Brussels, the European Union has sounded an alarm about the U.S.
moves to step up sanctions on Russia, urging Washington to
coordinate with its Group of 7 partners.
The European Commission, the EU executive, will consider its next
steps at a meeting on Wednesday in Brussels if Trump signs the bill
into law, and is willing to consider retaliation, according to an EU
official.
After warning against unilateral U.S. sanctions at the G20 summit in
Hamburg, Germany, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is
concerned Congress' legislation could hit European companies
upgrading pipelines in Russia that feed into Ukraine's gas transit
system.
The measures could also target European companies doing legitimate
business with Russia in rail transport, financial, shipping and
mining, the EU official said.
Any significant EU retaliation would need the support, however, of
the EU's 28 governments and would face resistance from members of
the bloc, such as Britain and Hungary, that are reluctant to upset
the Trump administration.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton,
Tim Gardner in Washington and Robin Emmott in Brussels; Editing by
Caren Bohan and Peter Cooney)
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