The Senate voted 98-2 Thursday to pass a bill that would enact new sanctions against Russian Federation and require the White House to secure congressional approval before lifting any current sanctions, Reuters reported Thursday.
Democrats insisted that the Congress should also respond to Russia's aggressions, including its annexation of Ukraine, attacks in Syria and interference in the USA election.
A senior Trump administration official has told Politico that the White House will attempt to convince House Republicans to make "administration-friendly changes" to a bipartisan new Senate bill which slaps Russian Federation with Trump-proof sanctions in retaliation for the Kremlin's interference in last year's US presidential election.
The bill establishes a review process for Congress to have a say whether the White House eases Russian Federation sanctions.
Amendment 232 has been attached to Bill 722 imposing sanctions against Iran, which the Senate is now debating.
The Senate approved the bill 98-2, with Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky and Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont voting against the measure.
Under the amendment, any executive sanctions imposed on Russian Federation by the Obama administration can not be lifted without congressional review.
Several NATO soldiers killed by an Afghan soldier in Balkh province
The so-called green-on-blue attacks have been a recurring problem for the American training mission in the country. Since 2001, more than 2,000 American troops have been killed in combat and noncombat roles in the country.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the author of the bill, told reporters he hoped President Donald Trump would "acknowledge" the near-unanimous support among senators for tougher actions against Iran and Russian Federation.
"What I wouldn't want to do is close the channels off", Tillerson told a Senate committee.
It's not clear how the pitch would be received by House Republicans, but Politico added the administration official says the White House is "confident it has allies in the House" who do not like limiting the president's powers.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-author of the bill, said he's been updating the State Department.
The measures need the approval of the House of Representatives and to be signed into law by President Trump, although they are thought to have enough Congressional support to override any veto.
It's unknown whether new sanctions will negatively impact our deteriorating relatioins with Russian Federation, although it's a safe bet they won't help.
The initial Iran bill imposes sanctions on any foreign person or foreign entity that does business with an entity already designated by the administration that has a connection to Iran's ballistic missile program.
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