Trump signs “seriously flawed” Russia sanctions bill

WASHINGTON» President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a bill that imposes new sanctions on Russia, ending immediate hopes that he may be able to reset U.S. relations with the Kremlin as Congress overruled his opposition to the provisions’ curb on his executive power.

Trump’s reluctant signing of the legislation came nearly a week after it was approved by an overwhelming, bipartisan majority in the Senate and after a similarly large majority in the House. The president issued two statements outlining his concerns with the bill, which he called “seriously flawed,” primarily because it limits his ability to negotiate sanctions without congressional approval.

“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,” Trump said in a statement Wednesday morning. “The framers of our Constitution put foreign affairs in the hands of the president.

“This bill will prove the wisdom of that choice,” he added.

The signing statement, long a controversial tool of president, expresses the president’s concern with legislation but it does nothing to halt or amend it. The president had the ability to veto it, but it likely would have been overridden by majorities in Congress.

Lawmakers’ solidarity in tying Trump’s hands on this issue reflects a deepening concern about the administration’s posture toward Russia, which critics have characterized as naive. The new Russia sanctions expand on measures taken by the Obama administration to punish the Kremlin for its alleged efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. But Trump has continued to doubt that Russia was responsible and he has called the investigations in Congress and by the special counsel into Russian meddling a “witch hunt.”

The administration’s lobbying of lawmakers in public and private to pull back the bill’s requirement that Congress review any attempt by the president to amend sanctions against Moscow ultimately fell on deaf ears. The measure imposes a 30day review period to give Congress a chance to vote down any of the president’s proposed changes to Russia sanctions before they can be implemented.

“Today, the United States sent a powerful message to our adversaries that they will be held accountable for their actions,” House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said.