Russia Sanctions: Senate Overwhelmingly Approves New Restrictions

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Senate voted 97-2 Wednesday in favor of a new round of sanctions against Russia, pushing forward a bill that would also enshrine the existing punitive restrictions on Moscow into law. The legislation would hinder attempts by the Trump administration to roll back the measures put in place to punish the Kremlin for its attempts to intervene in the 2016 presidential election, which the president has reportedly considered.

"Russia deliberately interfered in our recent election with cyberattacks and a disinformation campaign designed to weaken America and undermine faith in our democracy and our values," Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said in a statement. "Vladimir Putin’s brazen attack on our democracy is a flagrant demonstration of his disdain and disrespect for our nation. This should not just outrage every American, but it should compel us to action." (For more national stories, subscribe to the Across America Patch and receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

The sanctions limit trade affecting Russia's military and intelligence operations.

Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican of Kentucky, and Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican of Utah, were the only lawmakers in the chamber who opposed the bill.

"I'm really not in favor of new sanctions against Russia now," Paul said in a statement. "Sanctions aren't protecting us, sanctions are just saying we're pissed off, and we're tweaking their nose."

He continued: "Everyone in the world who can spy, spies. Everybody who can get involved in someone else's election, does get. Including the West."

Despite the dissent from Paul and Lee, passage of the measure showed that bipartisan efforts in Congress aren't entirely a feature of the past. It also demonstrates that in the face of President Trump's move to soften rhetoric on Russia, the bulk of the Republican Party still favors playing a strong hand against Putin. However, the bill still has to make its way through the House before it becomes law.

Trump will have the opportunity to veto the bill, but if it finds similar levels of support among representatives as it did among senators, the legislation could still be passed through an override vote. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

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