House and Senate Reach Major Deal on Russia Sanctions

A sanctions bill is expected to be sent to President Trump’s desk that will penalize Russia for meddling in the 2016 election and prevent Trump from rolling back its provisions.

The deal between House and Senate leadership was reached late Wednesday night. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker brokered the agreement, which also includes sanctions on Iran and North Korea.

This bill is likely to become law even if President Trump vetoes it, because the overwhelming support in both chambers guarantees a veto-proof majority.

The House voted 419-3 in favor of the bill Tuesday, and the original Senate version passed that chamber 98-2. The Senate is expected to pass the House version imminently.

A delay in the package’s passage actually had nothing to do with Russia. There was a dispute about the whether the Senate would have a chance to adjust the North Korea provisions before passage.

The deal reached offers a guarantee to the Senate that the House will take up future North Korean sanctions that originate in the Senate.

Corker is already planning to tie Trump’s hands on North Korea just like the Congress is about to do on Russia.