A group of US senators from both parties has called for the swiftest possible passage of a bill imposing new sanctions on russia, which the late Senator Lindsey Graham had been working on for more than two years. Lawmakers insist that the bill does not require any additional changes or amendments proposed by US President Donald Trump.
The senators made this statement during a joint press conference on July 14, according to Suspilne.
According to the bill’s authors, the bill has already been coordinated with the White House and enjoys broad support among Republicans and Democrats. They emphasize that the bill is the result of nearly two years of work and contains a complex sanctions mechanism, so opening it up to new amendments would be counterproductive.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also expressed support for the bill. “We have long supported the bill on sanctions against Russia, and the overwhelming majority of Republicans do as well. The Senate and the White House have developed a formula that they believe will work, and we are ready to consider it,” Johnson said.
This was the senators’ response to Donald Trump’s proposal to add provisions regarding Iran and the Hezbollah group to the bill. The bill’s co-author, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, emphasized that the bill must be passed exactly as it stands. “The president has endorsed this bill, and we must move forward with it. If the administration wants separate initiatives regarding Iran or Hezbollah, Congress can consider them separately,” Blumenthal said.
The senator added that the bill is intended as a response to russian attacks on Ukraine’s civilian population, and that delaying the process would mean more casualties.
The bill’s authors are confident that it can be passed before the start of Congress’s August recess. According to them, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is ready to bring the bill to a vote as soon as a sufficient number of votes is confirmed.
The bill calls for tougher sanctions against russia, russian companies, and oligarchs, as well as secondary sanctions targeting the largest buyers of russian energy resources. A separate section of the bill is aimed at combating russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which is used to circumvent international restrictions and export oil.
The senators also emphasized that the passage of the bill would serve as a tribute to Lindsey Graham, who was one of the leading advocates for increasing sanctions pressure on moscow and had managed to finalize the bill with the Trump administration shortly before his death.
As a reminder, Trump recommended that Lindsey Graham’s sister temporarily take his seat in the Senate.
Trump is also prepared to support new sanctions against russia: CNN has learned the details.
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