US lawmakers approved a broad new round of sanctions against Russia over its continued war in Ukraine that the president has been seeking his signature on.
Congress finally approved one of the largest US attempts at blocking Moscow since Trump came to power Wednesday with a 262-159 vote in the House of Representatives. The Senate had voted unanimously to approve the bill last month.
Trump has said he’ll sign the bill. The package is being sent to the energy and defense industries, to President Vladimir Putin, and other top officials in Russia. It also involves measures to combat so-called shadow fleet owned by Russia’s Moscow that has been operating around the Western sanctions.
One of the most important, however, is for Trump to sell tariffs up to 100 percent on countries buying Russian oil and gas. It may also impact the big buyers for Russia including China and India, which are still doing business with Russia’s energy companies.
The tariff items however, split the Democrats. The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks, blasted the bill and contended that the White House has “gross power” regarding trade, but still few demands to sanction.
Dozens of Democrats voted for the tariff bill, even though Democrats were objecting to some of the provisions of the tariff. Others, including some Republicans, were against it on grounds of free-market principles and/or U.S. entanglements in foreign wars.
But proponents of the bill say there needs to be “more tough economics” with Russia as its war in Ukraine languishes without a peace agreement.