Tougher Russia sanctions bill facing another setback

A bill slapping new financial penalties on Russia ran into what one lawmaker called a “three word” roadblock on Wednesday amid back-and-forth negotiations between Senate Democrats and top House Republicans.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) told reporters on Wednesday that negotiations had reached a “point of total silliness” focusing on “three words” in the nearly 140-page bill.

“Again on the substance of the bill there is not an issue. I think we may be close, but it’s from my perspective becoming an incredibly silly process,” he said. “Those who are delaying this over a couple of words, three words … are Russia’s friends.” 

The latest snag comes after Corker voiced optimism late last week that lawmakers would be able to quickly move forward with the bill, which also includes Iran sanctions and passed the Senate in a 98-2 vote before running into a constitutional issue in the House.

{mosads}Corker is working with the House Ways and Means Committee and Minority Leader Charles Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) office over what the Tennessee Republican stressed was a “minor piece of language.”

“We’re now caught up in the sort of atmospherics of this entire building right now,” he said. “There’s a lot of distrust, obviously.”

The setback for the Senate bill comes after it was already facing an unexpected roadblock in the House despite senators hoping their near unanimous vote would give it a shot of momentum.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) told reporters the House parliamentarian had flagged it as violating a requirement that all revenue bills originate from that chamber — what is known as a “blue slip” issue.

But that excuse has drawn heavy skepticism from Democrats, who worry that the bill is being delayed amid reports of pushback from the White House.

“We are still very suspicious about the House Republicans’ intentions,” said a senior Senate Democratic aide.

Democrats have argued for weeks that if the bill did have a “blue slip” issue, the quickest way to get around it would be for House Republicans to take the text of the Senate’s legislation and stick it in a House bill.

Absent that, the aide said Senate Democrats are open to making technical changes, but want a guarantee that the bill either won’t be watered down in the House or if the Senate has to pass it again that it would be the “final product” that passes the House.

The fact that they haven’t gotten an agreement on either, the Senate Democratic aide argued, is raising concerns that “they’re using the blue slip issue as an excuse.”

Schumer publicly urged President Trump to back the Russia sanctions bill.

“The best thing President Trump can do is support the Russia sanctions bill. … A bill that is currently languishing at the clerk’s desk in the House at what appears to be, at least, a request of the White House,” he said from the Senate floor.

The New York Times reported last week that the White House is urging House lawmakers to water down the bill.

A White House official separately told Reuters that they were concerned some provisions of the bill would interfere with the administration’s ability to set sanctions.

“There are some provisions in the Senate bill that would unprecedentedly impair Treasury’s ability to wield its sanctions tools, risk endangering the transatlantic sanctions coalition, and weaken the State Department’s ability to credibly signal that we would calibrate our sanctions in response to Russian behavior,” the official told Reuters.

But Republicans are pushing back hard against speculation that they’re being influenced by the Trump administration.

Corker said that “none of what is happening” is tied to the Trump administration.

“I haven’t talked to the White House about any concerns. … But [Secretary of State Rex] Tillerson is not opposed to the legislation,” he said. “There has been no flag given to us from the administration.”

Corker added that he had a “sense” that House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) liked the bill and Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.), the chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee, has been lobbying him to move forward.

“Royce has been over to our office every day this week trying to get it passed like it is,” he said.

Royce also said the bill “has not been watered down.” 

“It’s simply a constitutional issue with respect to all revenue bills have to originate in the House. That’s an easy thing for the Senate to fix,” Royce told Fox News on Wednesday.

The House Ways and Means Committee sent language to the Foreign Relations Committee last week to try to fix the constitutional holdup.

A spokesperson for the committee added on Wednesday that “this is an important constitutional issue and we provided the Senate with the tools to bring the bill back and fix the problem if it chooses.”

— This post was updated at 8:36 p.m.