The House rejected a resolution on Tuesday that would have rebuked President Trump for his remarks at a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The House ruled that the measure, offered by House Foreign Affairs ranking member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), was out of order.
The measure would have had the effect of endorsing Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) statement criticizing Trump’s remarks, in which Trump cast doubt on Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election by saying he believed Putin’s denial.
{mosads}Trump made a number of other remarks that were unusual for a U.S. president at the press conference, raising his victory over Hillary Clinton and criticizing special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. He also blamed that probe and past U.S. governments for the sour U.S.-Russia relationship, rather than any actions by Russia.
And he did not seek to correct or stand up to any of Putin’s statements during the press conference.
Ryan on Monday said there was no question that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election.
“There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world,” Ryan said in a statement. “The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally. There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals. The United States must be focused on holding Russia accountable and putting an end to its vile attacks on democracy.”
Because Engel’s time on the floor was yielded solely for the purpose of debate, he needed unanimous consent for his measure to be considered.
“I deeply regret that a member of the Speaker’s own party just blocked the House from speaking with one voice and taking up this resolution by unanimous consent,” Engel said on the floor. “We must reject the president’s capitulation to Putin, we must stand up for American leadership on the global stage, and we must demand that this administration treat Russia like the enemy it is.”