Russia-sanction clash

Push in Congress to defy Trump, slap Vlad

Congressional negotiators from both parties agreed Saturday on a bill to punish Moscow for meddling in the US presidential election and for its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria.

The agreement comes as the team of investigators led by special counsel Robert Mueller circles closer around former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, according to Reuters.

Mueller’s team is hoping to develop money-laundering charges against Manafort in order to flip him into cooperating with their probe into possible collusion between Russian operatives and the Trump campaign, the wire service reported, citing two sources.

Saturday’s surprise bipartisan measure would handcuff President Trump’s ability to ease Russian sanctions on his own.

Trump would have to explain to Congress why he wants to ease sanctions. Lawmakers would then have 30 days to allow or reject the move.

“Given the many transgressions of Russia, and President Trump’s seeming inability to deal with them, a strong sanctions bill such as the one Democrats and Republicans have just agreed to is essential,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The review requirement is based on GOP-sponsored 2015 legislation to give Congress a vote on whether then-President Barack Obama could lift sanctions against Iran. That law reflected Republican complaints that Obama had overstepped constitutional limits to put the Iran nuclear agreement into place without the Senate’s consent.

The Russia sanctions bill cleared the Senate in June on a 98-2 vote but stalled in the House. The House will vote on it Tuesday.

The measure would put into law the Russia sanctions Obama established by executive order, add sanctions on mining and other industries, and target Russians charged with cyberattacks or with supplying weapons to Syria.