Meehan vows to stand up to Trump on Russian issue
All three of the area congressman who joined with the overwhelming House majority in voting to levy sanctions against Russia, North Korea and Iran would also vote to override a veto by President Donald Trump.
The bill, which gives Congress the power to block any effort by the White House to weaken sanctions on Russia, passed by an uncommon margin of 419-3.
Communications staff for U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello, R-6 of Chester County; U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-7 of Chadds Ford, and U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-8 of Bucks County, all confirmed the three congressmen would support a veto override.
After also being approved by a large margin in the Senate Thursday, the sanctions bill is widely seen as a difficult political problem for Trump as vetoing the bill might give the impression he is favoring Russia, whose involvement in last year’s presidential election is currently being investigated.
But Trump has said he favors forging a better relationship with Russia and sanctions would be a move away from that policy.
On Thursday, newly appointed White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci told CNN that Trump “may decide to veto the sanctions and be tougher on the Russians than the Congress.
“He may sign the sanctions exactly the way they are or he may veto the sanctions and negotiate an even tougher deal against the Russians,” Scaramucci said.
“Regimes and individuals supporting illicit missile programs, providing funding or supplies for terrorism, or conducting human rights violations must be held accountable for their actions.” — U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello, R-6 of Chester County
He may not get the chance to negotiate his own deal however.
“As the congressman said with his vote, these sanctions are crucial and should become law as soon as possible,” said Aaron Clark, a spokesperson for Fitpatrick in an email response to Digital First Media. “If, for some reason, the legislation was vetoed, he would vote to override that veto to ensure the sanctions can be enacted.”
A former FBI Supervisory Special Agent who served in Kiev, Ukraine, Fitzpatrick has been “an outspoken advocate for the people of Eastern Europe in the face of Russian aggression and specifically urged against sanctions relief for Russia until it meets the terms of the Minsk Agreement,” according to his statement on the vote.
Similarly, Natalie Gillam, communications director for Costello, confirmed that he would vote to override a veto of the sanctions bill.
“These sanctions will hit these regimes where it will hurt, and they’ll limit our enemies’ access to the hard cash necessary to finance aggression, human rights abuses and support for terror.” — U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-7 of Chadds Ford
“Regimes and individuals supporting illicit missile programs, providing funding or supplies for terrorism, or conducting human rights violations must be held accountable for their actions,” Costello wrote in a statement posted on his Facebook page.
The sanctions bill “will heighten sanctions against individuals from Iran, North Korea, and Russia who are involved in these destabilizing and hostile actions,” he wrote.
“These sanctions will hit these regimes where it will hurt, and they’ll limit our enemies’ access to the hard cash necessary to finance aggression, human rights abuses and support for terror,” Meehan said in a statement after the House approved the sanctions bill Tuesday.
John Elizandro, Meehan’s press secretary, confirmed Meehan would also vote to override a veto of the legislation by President Trump.