Schumer, Cardin to introduce legislation on Russia sanctions

Senate Minority Leader Chalres Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday said he has bipartisan support for a bill that would require President Donald Trump to go through Congress before lifting any sanctions on Russia.

Schumer told ABC’s “This Week” that Republican Sens. John McCain (Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) both support the legislation, which the minority leader plans to introduce this week with Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.).

McCain and Graham, who have both been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin, have expressed concern over Trump suggesting he is open to warmer relations with the Kremlin.

{mosads}“And for us to repeal sanctions, given what Russia has done in Ukraine and threatened the Baltics and, now, they have clearly tried to intervene in our election — whether it had an effect or not … that’s a danger that we have never faced to this extent in American history,” Schumer said.

The U.S. intelligence community earlier this month released a report that concluded Putin called for an influence campaign aimed at helping Trump win the White House. 

Cardin, the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in December that he would introduce sanctions against Russia over its interference in the United States election, in addition to its role in the Syrian war and the conflict in Ukraine. 

“The executive branch has acted, but it is imperative the legislative branch now pick up the ball and move it forward. Congressional sanctions can complement and strengthen these new executive sanctions,” Cardin said at the time.