Senate weighs next steps on Russia-Iran sanctions

The Senate on Wednesday evening took another step closer to advancing a bill that would impose long-stalled sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine and extend for five more years sanctions on Iran.

Read more Idaho Democrat is latest Senate nominee to drop out in boost to independent rival

The Senate voted 84-12 in favor of a motion to proceed to consideration of the legislative vehicle for the measure, which would punish certain Russians and Iranians and those who do business with them.

Champions of the measure are fresh off a satisfying initial Senate procedural vote Tuesday night to abridge debate on the motion to proceed to the legislative vehicle for the bill. With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy looking on from the gallery, the 86-12 vote Tuesday showed overwhelming support for the bill.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is trying to reach a time agreement to abbreviate debate on the measure and possibly consider amendments.

Otherwise, the debate could stretch into next week if critics of the measure from among the dozen Senate “no” votes on Tuesday’s cloture motion insist on that.

Amendments could include one being worked on by Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., that would take aim at the bill’s tariff authorities, which they and other mostly Democratic lawmakers in both chambers oppose.

On Tuesday, Senate champions of the sanctions package unveiled a substitute amendment that will form the contents of the bill.

House outlook

It is not clear yet whether the House, after its return in September, will consider the Senate bill or a modified version of it.

The House passed in early June a Russia sanctions measure of its own, which would also authorize spending more U.S. money arming Ukraine, funds that would have to be appropriated.

The House passed that measure 226-195, mainly on the strength of Democratic votes and with the help of only 18 Republicans and one independent.

Read more ‘People just don’t see it’: Trump’s midterms messaging sounds a lot like Biden

Rep. Gregory W. Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee and sponsor of the House-passed bill, has said it is superior to the pending Senate measure.

Regardless, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a lead backer of the Senate measure, said he believes the House will pass the Senate’s bill later this year — in large part, he said, because President Donald Trump supports the Senate bill.

“I’m very hopeful, because it meets all of the goals that we have in common” with the House advocates of Russia sanctions, Blumenthal said of his sanctions bill.

“The Meeks bill is a good measure, but it won’t pass,” Blumenthal said. “It has funding which the administration won’t accept, and Republicans will reject. Our sanctions are stronger, and the tariff authority is very narrowly scoped and constrained.”

Asked if he thinks Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., would be an ally in the effort to starve Russia’s defense sector of funds, Blumenthal said: “Trump’s for it. I think the speaker will be for it. It’s a pretty simple equation.”

Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, expressed the hope that the overwhelming Senate support for the sanctions bill would have an impact as the House considers it.

“I hope they’ll look at it, and particularly look at the vote over here, and feel it’s the right thing to do,” Risch said.

Trump added a wrinkle to the legislative dynamic on Wednesday when he told reporters at the White House he wants lawmakers to add unspecified tariffs on Iran to the sanctions bill.

Read more Senators put Blanche on deadline

John T. Bennett contributed to this report.