Russia sanctions backers fear Trump’s pressure

WASHINGTON — Proponents of Senate-passed legislation to hit Russia with economic sanctions and limit the president’s authority to lift the penalties fear the Trump administration may seek to dilute the bill and are urging the House to act quickly.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Tuesday for the House to vote as soon as possible on the measure. McCain, who has been pushing for months for the U.S. to respond to Russia’s election meddling, predicted the legislation would pass overwhelmingly, just as it did in the Senate last week.

“We all know that the Russians tried to interfere in our elections,” McCain said. “Here we are six months later and we’ve done nothing.”

Yet instead of building on the burst of momentum created in the Senate, where the measure won 98 votes, the Republican leadership in the House sent the sweeping sanctions package to the Foreign Affairs Committee for a review. The Russia penalties are embedded in a broader bill slapping sanctions on Iran.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said House Republicans need to pass the sanctions bill “as quickly as possible.”

“Responding to Russia’s assault on our democracy should be a bipartisan issue that unites both Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate,” Schumer said.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said, “I think the House Republicans are lukewarm and the White House is cold when it comes to Russia sanctions.”

Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he’s concerned that sending the sanctions bill to the committee will give the Trump administration an opportunity to weaken legislation. Such a move amid multiple investigations into Russia meddling in the 2016 presidential election would trigger an outcry among many Democrats and even a number of Republicans.

“Anything short of an up-or-down vote on this tough sanctions package is an attempt to let Russia off the hook,” Engel said.

But Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, took a more hands-off approach. He said he’s confident there is “strong interest” in the House for passing Russia sanctions legislation that’s similar to the Senate bill.