Trump reluctantly signs off on ‘flawed’ Russia sanctions bill
President says it encroaches on his authority to carry out foreign policy
President Trump signed a new package of sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea but issued a blistering statement that the bill encroaches on the executive branch’s ability to conduct foreign policy.
“Since this bill was first introduced, I have expressed my concerns to Congress about the many ways it improperly encroaches on executive power, disadvantages American companies and hurts the interests of our European allies,” Trump wrote in a statement.
Though Trump said his administration worked with Congress to make the bill better, he noted the legislation “remains seriously flawed — particularly because it encroaches on the executive branch’s authority to negotiate.”
The legislation, which overwhelmingly passed both houses of Congress, bars the president from easing or waiving the penalties on Russia unless Congress agrees.
The provision was intended to allay concerns among lawmakers that the president’s push for better relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin might lead him to relax the penalties without first securing concessions from the Kremlin.
Congress could have easily overridden a veto.
Trump objected to the curbs on his ability to ease sanctions on Russia. He insisted he could “make far better deals with foreign countries than Congress.”
“Congress could not even negotiate a health care bill after seven years of talking,” he said. “By limiting the executive’s flexibility, this bill makes it harder for the United States to strike good deals for the American people and will drive China, Russia and North Korea much closer together.”
Still, Trump said, he’d sign the bill “despite its problems.”
“I am signing this bill for the sake of national unity,” he said. “It represents the will of the American people to see Russia take steps to improve relations with the United States. We hope there will be cooperation between our countries on major global issues so that these sanctions will no longer be necessary.”
Some Democrats saw Trump’s statement as an “apology” note to Putin.
Political analyst Jesse Ferguson, a former spokesman for Trump’s election opponent Hillary Clinton, said, “It’s far less significant that he signed a bill, which would have become law anyway because of an override from Congress, than it is that he attached a note apologizing to Putin for doing it.”
In a statement last week that Trump intended to sign the bill, the White House said the president “negotiated regarding critical elements” of early drafts and approved the final draft “based on its responsiveness to his negotiations.”
Before the White House issued that statement Friday, Moscow retaliated against the possible sanctions by ordering the expulsion of American diplomatic personnel and seized recreational property used by embassy staff.
The Russian Foreign Ministry told Washington to cut its diplomatic staff by 755 by Sept. 1 and said it would shutter a dacha, or country retreat, used by U.S. diplomatic staff on the outskirts of Moscow, as well as some warehouse facilities.
Putin had signaled that his country was prepared to hit back against Washington for what he called “anti-Russian hysteria.”
The sanctions relate to Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean territory in 2014 and support for a rebellion by separatists in eastern Ukraine, as well as suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
“This bill makes it harder for the United States to strike good deals and will drive China, Russia and North Korea much closer together.” President Trump